3 Dates
by theamerican91
Summary: Partly inspired by Angry lil Elf's prompt. As a potential apocalypse begins to unravel a year after Batman's resignation from the League and the tragedy of Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne is forced to go on three dates with three women from the Justice League. However Batman isn't the only one with relationship issues in the League. Cover art by Electricboa. BMWW SMLL GLHG ZZBB FL GABC HQ
1. Setting the Date

**This is a long story so do not come here expecting it to be 20000 words wrapped up neatly in 10 chapters. Also heads up there is major spoilers for the DCAU especially Justice League and Batman Beyond. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters related to DC Comics or the DCAU. **

"Are you sure about this? It is in Gotham."

"Who cares Di! He forbidden the League to enter Gotham. We are going as private guests not League business!"

"That seems like the same thing…"

"Come on Di! Zatanna talked me into it, we need one more for the auction. Come on you are sure to jack up the price. Men would cut off their limbs to win a date with you!"

"But that's the thing, I am not comfortable letting myself be up for bid like I am some piece of property."

"Di, Superman did it once, and some rich bachelorette paid over 500 grand for it. Think how much it will raise for charity. Besides it is only one date."

"I don't know…"

Shayera sighed. She had been trying to convince Diana to join her as participants in a charity date auction. Zatanna was doing a favor to the foundation and the manager asked if she could get two more female Justice League members. Unfortunately most of the League's females were taken and Zatanna did not want to ask any of them to participate to face the wrath of their boyfriends. That left really only Shayera and Diana. Besides Shayera wanted to make a certain man who was not her boyfriend jealous…

"Look Di, you need to get out more. Ever since Bruce resigned…"

Diana shot Shayera a glare that told Shayera to stop heading direction. Shayera however was also stubborn and held her ground.

"Diana! Bruce has left to brood in Gotham. We have tried to talk to him but he will not budge. Maybe if Alfred was still alive we would have a chance but now he's all alone. Let him brood!"

"What does Bruce have to do with this?"

"Come on Di, we all know Bruce broke your heart the day he resigned and then he rejected you when you tried to go talk to him the next day. The man is an asshole whether you admit it or not. It is not worth the trouble to be moping after him. In fact it would be good to get back at him by attending this auction on his home turf."

Diana sighed in her head. Shayera was right. She had been very anti-social the past year and a half. She tried to blame it on being busy but that was not true. She was trying to recoil from the aftermath of a broken heart. Some Amazon warrior she was, crying over a man. A selfish, cruel, brooding man. That was enough to invoke some Amazonian pride into her.

"Fine I will do it. On one condition."

"What?"

"You help me pick out a dress."

Bruce Wayne sighed as he continued to look over the reports from the previous board meeting. It was already bad enough that Lucius retired last year, now with Powers and his young son Derrek trying to aggressively insert themselves into his company, there was a lot of stress. Desiring an outlet to diffuse the stress he got up to stretch. From his office windows he could see the sun was beginning to set in Gotham. That could mean only one thing; his other job would start soon. In fact it was becoming more his real job. With Tim under care, Alfred dead, and all other ties with his friends severed, the only real outlet Bruce had left was Batman.

"_Maybe I should retire as Bruce Wayne early, I got enough to keep me going until some punk gets lucky,"_ he thought to himself somewhat hopefully. But then reality slapped him the face like cold water.

It would be foolish to retire now. Without monitoring things directly, some rookie might uncover the link between Bruce and Batman and that would lead to a whole horde of questions. It would be better to let things run course. Keep the status quo until he died. At least that was what he hoped for, he die on the job instead of getting too old and sick to continue on.

His own musings were interrupted by a buzz on a radio. It was his secretary Patti. Bruce liked Patti when he first hired her because ehe was intrigued by her very diligent attitude, loyalty, and unbroken optimism when he met her a few years ago. Now he found it annoying as he was slowly withering away.

"Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce groaned and pushed the button as he spoke, "Yes Patti, can this wait?"

"I am afraid not Mr. Wayne. The Heartridge foundation called, they said they were wondering why you have not RSVP'd yet. You have attended it for the past 15 years."

Bruce groaned inwardly, the Heartridge Charity was one of the few social events he actually enjoyed. Bob Hastings, the founder, was one of the few elites of Gotham Bruce could tolerate. He would feel bad if he did not go. At the same time, though he had a lot of stress on his plate.

"I do not know Patti, I have not been feeling too well…"

"With all do respect Mr. Wayne, you need to get out. You have been living under a rock the past year. The tabloids are going crazy with rumors."

"You know I do not care what they ever said about me."

"For Christ sake Bruce! You need to go out for once and the Heartridge can use your support!"

In all his life, Bruce never heard Patti lose control like that, let alone call him by his first name. She was all about professionalism. Had he really been that big of an ass that even his secretary was telling him off?

Deciding she won this round Bruce relented, "Fine I will make an appearance and bid on the highest prize. See if Cyndi is free."

"First off, she said she never wanted to see you again Mr. Wayne, and secondly it is a charity date auction. Would it not be a little tacky to bid on a date when you have one?"

Bruce chuckled to himself. Now he remember why he hired her, she was always keeping him out of trouble like that.

"I suppose you are right. Tell them I will be coming and I will be spending lots of money."

Patti had hung up as Bruce began to pack up his office; there was no point working anymore, especially when he had work to do tonight.

Batman sat on by his favorite gargoyle, overlooking the Iceberg lounge. Penguin was supposedly a new leaf now and seemed to permanently give up crime. That did not stop Batman though for checking up his old friend once in a while. Besides he needed sometime to clear his head. He was having the most difficult case as of yet.

A week ago, a body was found at Gotham University. It was a professor of Ancient Greek Mythology. Apparently he had ordered something very valuable to be put on display in the university because there was an empty crate next to his body. However the university had no record of the professor purchasing any artifact with university funds. That meant two things to Batman; either the professor bought something off the black market and someone he out bidded killed him over it, or it meant that the professor had some wealthy benefactor who double crossed him.

Either way, the case got more complicated when the Old Gotham Church was broken into. A nun on duty was slain, killed almost in identical fashion to the professor. Once again nothing seemed missing, except there was a large empty crate next to the body, addressed to the church. The monsignor told the police the nun had ordered some medieval chalice from some saint from Rome to be put on display during All Souls Day next month. However, the Vatican had no record of any purchase but did report that the chalice was missing. Whoever was behind this, obviously had some interest in religious artifacts.

If he was superstitious he would say it could have something to do with some higher power. But Bruce rejected the notion. He had met gods before, but he saw their limitations. They were flawed like any human. He did not necessarily denied the existence of an all powerful God, he just felt that God did not give a damn.

So that left with a thief with interest in religious artifacts, which is why he was perched on the roof watching the Iceberg lounge since it was right next to the Gotham Natural History Museum. Whoever it was, they most likely strike there next. There was a boundless supply of ancient ceremonial objects that the odds seemed likely the thief would strike there next. So the past few nights Batman had been sitting on the same spot, crime had been slow lately so he had nothing better to do.

It was not like he had anything to do afterwards either. He had no family left.

_Family_.

That word would always bring up pain to him ever since his parents died. All he had was Alfred. Then Dick, Barbara, and Tim came along. Together they seemed like they could form a family even if dysfunctional. ..

"_No._ _You were a fool to think that. Look where you are now_," scoffed the Bat's voice in his head.

Dick and Bruce's fragile relationship had completely fallen apart; the two could not even be in the same city with each other. Barbara, he pushed her away and broke her heart. Worse he took away the mantle of Batgirl from her, her own pride and joy. She resented him for that now. Tim. Tim was still in a mental hospital. Dr. Tompkins was trying her best but she was making no progress in the past year. Batman did not really form any contact with Tim, against Leslie's wishes. He could not afford word getting out that Tim had a mental breakdown and still thought he was the Joker. That would raise too many questions.

Alfred never forgave him for that. He remembered Alfred chiding him that Tim was still his son regardless of his mission and Tim needed him. But Batman did what he did best. He pushed Tim away. And by that, Alfred too. Alfred died soon after that. He went on a trip to England and contracted the flu and died very quickly. Bruce regretted that he and Alfred never had the chance to make it up before he died.

But that is how it always was. HE was the Night. He was vengeance. He was the Batman. Everyone he knew would eventually die or fade away from his life. Thwere was no point of family and no point of friends.

_Friends_.

Now that was a word to him almost as alien as family. As Bruce Wayne he was always a loner. He could only count two maybe three people he knew as Bruce Wayne as friends. The rest were nothing but a bunch of phonies willing to suck up to be part of Bruce Wayne's own prestige.

As Batman, well Batman was not known to have any friends. He only had colleagues, none of which he trusted. Sure there were a handful that he respected but other than that, he was alone, no friends or companions.

"_That's not true,"_ another voice said accusatory in his head. _"Even as Batman you were never alone."_

Batman sighed, the voice was right. There were Jim and even Harvey Bullock, his two strongest allies on the police force. But Jim retired a few months ago and Harvey transferred to Metropolis. Needless to say, Batman never received as warm of reception from the new GCPD.

Poor Dent. His first true friend on the side of the law besides Gordon. Now one of his most hated enemies. And that was all his fault.

Then there were the others. The Justice League. Whether he liked to admit it or not, he had some friends there, especially among the founders. He always found Clark as too idealistic but he was nonetheless inspired by him. He would never admit it, but he always felt inadequate that he would never be as good as Superman.

The rest of the League was not so bad. He was good friends with the rest of the founders, even Wally and Shayera. There were a few other members of the League like Etrigan, Green Arrow, and the ever enigmatic Question. But they were gone, all gone. The minute he resigned from the League he had pushed them all away for good. He made sure to put an order to the League to never step in his city, lest they will have the Watchtower and Metro Tower destroyed. Both were funded by the UN now, but he designed the schematics. Of course Batman would never actually follow thru on the threat but the message was clear, Batman and the League had parted ways for good.

He had not talked to any of them in over a year. Clark attempted to a few times but gave up after he threatened to lace his food with kryptonite and bringing up Lois not loving him as Clark. He felt bad for what he said but it was for the greater good, no one was allowed to get close to him, he was meant to die alone with no friends and no one to love and grow old with.

That forced Bruce to go on the next topic;

_Love_.

Out of all the things that seemed alien to him, finding love was probably the biggest. When he started to plan to become Batman and Andrea broke his heart, he knew right away he was supposed to be aloen forever, no one could get close to his heart.

As if on cue the voice in his headed chided him again and a slew of rebuttals flashed across his mind. He remembered being overjoyed when Andrea came back thinking he would finally get some happiness, but she was far gone like him, doomed to be alone. Talia, Talia Al Ghul. He was not even sure if she was still alive. Her father had died or been gravely injured in their last confrontation, there was no hope for mending that relationship. Zatanna, the more he thought about it, the more he wished he could have changed the past. They probably would have had a chance to work out. But they decided to remain good friends nothing more. In fact it was probably why Zatanna was the only member in the League he allowed in Gotham and actually still had limited contact with on occasion. But still their relationship was tested and strained.

Lastly came Selina. She was an incredible woman. One minute he wanted to arrest the next minute he was pinning for her like a puppy. Catwoman really knew how to tweak his heart. Soemtimes he fantasized that if she gave up her lifestyle they would finally work out. He really did love her. But it was all an illusion, even if Selina wanted to become a new leaf, they would never last long together. He did not need someone just like him, a lost soul in the darkness. She would not be there to stop him and in fact more likely encourage him to cross the line.

Those were all the people in his life, and most of them he would never see or hear from again. That was his fate, to fade away into anonymity while his friends and family lived happier lives and make their own legacies.

Interrupting his thoughts a car backfiring caught his attention. He had been losing his focus again. It seemed to be happening a lot lately. His body was not just weakening but his mind as well. Of course he would never admit it, but he knew he was losing his edge. In attempt to regain his bearings he slowly looked around minding his surroundings. Something caught his eye to his right, something that seemed out of place.

It was another stone gargoyle, lying next to him. Unlike the one he crouched on, this seemed a little sturdier and newer, as if someone had remodeled it. It did not take long for him to remember what happened. An interesting roof top conversation with a certain Amazon had resulted in the gargoyle being crushed.

And for the umpteenth time, a flood of memories came back to him.


	2. Old Flames

_Diana._

Even her name was beautiful. But it was not the physical beauty that he was just attracted to. Nor was it the cliché inner beauty that many couples in those cheesy romance movies had either. Something about her just exuded beauty; her flawless skin, her long legs, her beautiful deep blue eyes, her kindness, her smile, her temper, her confidence, and most of all her humanity.

For being a man that despised metas it was funny that he would admit he felt that Clark, and especially Diana were more human than him. They both felt the raw power of their emotions while he just sulked and brood. It took him years to teach himself how to lock up his emotions; he was incapable of ever coming emotionally close to anyone. That would be his weakest part, his heart. There was nothing there but an empty black hole.

Where did Diana fit in with him? He sometimes felt like he shared a sisterly love with her. That would make sense. She, Clark, and he were the Trinity after all. They were in their own way some type of family.

"_That's not true. You never thought of her as a sister,"_ the voice in his head said.

He then rationalized her as a valued friend. Yes, that was it; she was a friend, one of the few he would trust. It seemed odd being that they had very different ideologies but maybe friendship survives anything. A twinge of regret came to him. For being such a valued friend he had sure been treating her like crap like everyone else. Yet why did he feel so much guilt with her in comparison to the others?

"_You are pathetic. You will not admit what is right in front of you."_

Those feelings beyond friendship were just desires, nothing more. She was even attracted to Superman he was sure at one point. Stuff happens. And even if it was something more, it would have been the same like all the women in his life.

"_Not true. You always lost your control around her. Plus she accepted you for who you are and respected that, even when you rejected her advances. She has saved you so many times in a figurative and literal sense. She deserves better."_

Even if there was something better, Batman knew it was hopeless. He would not want to drag her with him into his own misery. She was special to him which is why she could not be allowed to be near him. Everyone he knew always got hurt. She of course would not get hurt in the physical sense; she was a meta after all. But in terms of emotion and the heart, how can one mend such damage?

That was what he was, damaged goods beyond hope of repairing. No one to love or care for. His only sole purpose was to guard his city tooth and nail until he died or got too old. His obsession was the only thing keeping him alive for now. The Joker was right, Batman really was pathetic.

As if fate was sending him a gift, an alarm suddenly went off in the museum, interrupting his self-loathing. Getting excited to find an outlet to vent his frustrations, he dived into the museum ready to delivering the beating.

The alarm went off because the thief was unaware of the secret new security the museum had put in place due to an anonymous tip off that someone would try to break in. Still they were pretty good to have gotten this far in. Batman swung around and pulled out his miniature computer. The schematics that he "borrowed" from the museum showed that the thief was trapped in the Aztec exhibit. That left him with about five minutes to interrogate the thief before the police arrived. They were more of a hindrance rather than asset.

He easily made his way to the exhibit to find four cage steel doors surrounding the four openings. What he saw inside made him groan inwardly. This was one of the last people he needed to see.

"Hello Brucey!" Selina seductively greeted Bruce as she sauntered over, making sure to add a little sway to her hips.

"What the hell are you doing here Selina?" asked Bruce.

"I always had an interest in Mayan cultures. I love those giant head stones they make."

"Those are Olmecs, and this is an Aztec exhibit!" Batman retorted harsher than usual. He was not in the mood to banter.

"Geeze you have gotten grumpier as the years gone by. What is wrong Bruce? Miss me? We have not been intimate for about six months."

Batman smirked, "That was nothing but for pure pleasure. Nothing more and you know it."

Selina hissed at him. "You really are losing your manners."

Batman ignored her comment and continued interrogating. "Why are you here?"

Selina grinned, "I am doing what I do best…"

"Two people were killed in two thefts over historical religious artifacts. It is only a manner of time before the police connect you to this."

"I had nothing to do with that. I am not a pacifist, but I would not kill some old professor let alone a nun. You know me."

"Maybe I don't," Batman said coldly and made to walk away.

"Wait Bruce please!"

Batman smirked inwardly. Now he held the cards.

"If you let me go, I promise to tell you what I am doing here."

"You first."

"How do I know you will not just leave me here?"

"No offense but I think my word holds more value than yours."

Catwoman hissed at him. He really held the advantage for now. But before she could come up with a retort, sirens were heard faintly.

In desperation she looked at Batman.

"Look I do not know who hired me. Some guy offered me a job to steal something here. He said he knew an acquaintance of mine."

"And you took his word like that?"

"In my world I do not trust anyone Batman, just like you. Besides I was bored and would not mind the little action."

"What did he want?"

"The eye of Montezuma. Some stone object. Seemed worthless to me."

Batman knew that was all she knew. He knew her too well to know when she was lying. With great reluctance he typed in the unlock code on the other side. Another advantage from his Palm Pilot. Catwoman sprang to flee but was stopped by Batman.

"Hand it over," Batman glared.

Catwoman, knowing she had lost again decided saving her ass was worth more than the trouble. With much reluctance she handed Batman the stone and took off.

Batman, ignoring the police bursting in calmly waited for them to arrive. Just as they were getting on the next floor he placed the eye on a table with a note attached to it and grappled out the window. He did not like sticking around to answer questions anymore.

He watched from the building next door as the officers examined the scene and expressed confusion over the note left behind. IT basically told him that Batman stopped the thievery and that was all they needed to know. Like always, he always worked alone.

Deciding to call it a night, he jumped down the roof to find his Batmobile waiting for him and jumped in flooring it. He would always ignore the speed limit but he had taken it to a whole new level tonight. His encounter with Selina had frustrated him. That and the fact he had no clue what the connection was frustrated him as well.

He pulled up in the cave to find he had left his monitor on. He was getting sloppy by the day. Pulling off the cowl he sighed as he past a mirror and was startled by what he saw. For lack of a better word, he looked like hell. His facial features were not scarred but there seem to be no life. His eyes were clouded and dim. His hair seemed greasier and it was not due to the sweat of wearing the batsuit. His eyes were covered in bags. For a moment he could not believe no one said anything about it but then again, other than Patti, he had real no interaction with anyone.

"I guess that makes me the new Howard Hughes," he muttered to himself sarcastically before heading up the steps. It only took him a minute to get the clock back to blocking the entrance and finding himself in the massive manor. There was an eerily uninhabitable silence all around it. No Alfred to cook him meals, no Tim running down the stairs to greet him or Barbara sitting on the couch reading. No Dick driving his motorcycle obnoxiously loud, always late, outside. Just Bruce, alone and unwanted.

The manor itself was not filthy. After Alfred's death Bruce hired an exclusive cleaning company that stopped by once a week. He did background checks on all the workers before deciding to allow them to be hired. He could not risk them attempting to find the batcave if they worked for his enemies. He also made it clear he had hidden cameras everywhere to make sure they did not snoop around or steal anything. He already made sure the company fire a young man he caught trying to steal his mother's pearls.

_Pearls._

Those things cost him everything. If only his father had waited to buy her that gift next week maybe things would be different. But no nothing changes with him; his life was meant to be pain and misery. He saw what his future was, a broken old bitter man living alone, teaching some poor young soul to take his mantle. Even though that future he saw was when the time stream was falling apart, he knew it was partly true. He was destined to be that old man, whether he had an apprentice or not.

Bruce sighed and went to the liquor cabinet and pulled himself a bottle of whiskey. He always hated drinking but pretended he enjoyed it as Bruce Wayne. But due to recent stresses, when Batman was not a big enough outlet, he found alcohol was an excellent substitute to his sorrows. He poured himself a drink and examined it.

"Good thing tomorrow is Saturday," and with that he began to drink himself to oblivion.


	3. Conspirators Revealed

Zatanna smiled to herself as she got undressed, tonight was a stellar performance. She was getting real good at her new Elephant trick. The best part was, she did not need to use magic this time. There is no fun without the extra hard work.

An annoying ringing on her desk interrupted her. Stupid commlink. She never wore it during a show. IF it was a real emergency that needed her immediately her amulet would let her know. But it was League policy and she needed to set an example so she agreed to have one.

With an exasperated sigh, she wrapped herself in a robe and turned on the link.

"This better be important. I have a nice bath waiting for me."

"Hey do not get snippy with me witch!" said an aggressive voice on the other line playfully.

"Hello Shay," Zatanna smiled. Over the year, she had gotten close to Shayera due to both of them understanding what it was like to have fallen in love with someone who would not love you back.

"Well I did it."

"You what? How did you convince her?"

"I am not really sure myself. I was thinking of using my mace at one point."

"This is great. Make sure you both buy some expensive but not gaudy dresses. It is a high class event after all."

"O we will. But why Gotham? You are aware a you-know-who is there kicking anyone from the League out. Please tell me you are not doing this as a good way to stick it to him for being an asshole."

"That would be very unethical," Zatanna said wickedly with mock horror.

"Alright keep your secrets for now. Whatever you are planning on doing, just make sure I get ringside seats to it."

"Will do bye Shay!"

"See ya!"

Zatanna grinned as the link went dead. Phase I in her plan was completed. Now hopefully Phase II would come to fruition. That involved convincing another stubborn mule to go to the auction. She quickly pulled out her cell phone and dialed a private number. It rang twice before a female voice answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hello Patti. It's Zatanna. Did you-"

"Yes!" interrupted Patti excitedly. "He did not want a go at first but then I pulled the –you-been-going-for-years line and that made him concede. He says he might even buy the highest bid."

Zatanna smiled. Knowing Bruce he would be too stunned to bid. If Zatanna knew one thing about him, she could get him to be a little stunned. With Diana, that power was tripled.

"Well good work. I will see you next week."

"Yea, and Zatanna. Thank you for giving me the idea to tell Bruce to come. Lord knows he needs to get out again before he totally shuts down."

"He's my friend, it is what I do." And with that both lines went dead as their owners hang up.

Zatanna smiled to herself, her plan was working. She convinced Patti that she was going to the charity event and would love to see Bruce there being they met each other when Bruce went to study abroad many years ago. Patti, so excited to see her boss have an opportunity to have some happiness agreed. She thought the plan was for Zatanna to make Bruce jealous of her.

"If only," Zatanna thought wishfully to herself.

Patti had half the truth, Zatanna did want Bruce to get jealous but not over her. This is why she needed Diana to accompany her. She knew her friend had deep feelings for that Amazon whether he liked it or not. Zatanna always saw Bruce look at Diana in ways she could only dream he look at her. The problem was the stubborn ass would not admit it.

Now Bruce went all crazy and decided to cut himself off from everybody. She was one of the few people that knew why. Many, especially in the League speculated that Batman snapped and killed the Joker who disappeared mysteriously right around when Batman resigned. The original founders knew it was not that, but out of respect of their former colleague decided to not ask. Zatanna was probably the only league member who knew.

It was a miracle that Bruce decided to still keep contact with her. A week after his resignation, Zatanna had transported herself into Bruce's private office during the day to demand an explanation. Surprisingly Bruce relented to her and told her everything about Tim, Harley and the Joker and the fallout from it. Bruce then asked Zatanna to keep this secret.

Zatanna was reluctant, but felt she owed her friend something for opening up to her and had not told anyone what happened. Occasionally the two would have a quasi-friendly chat, usually over a phone. She always avoided asking about Tim or Batman. Bruce desperately needed a friend and she would be there.

She rubbed her temples as the alluring fumes from the bath began to die down. Of course she felt sorry for Bruce, but that gave him no right to be an ass to everyone, especially his own friends. Her plan was designed to strike Bruce where he was most vulnerable, the heart. IF her plan succeeded Bruce would probably first approach the three women in the auction and demand what they are doing here. By playing indifferent toward him would make his temper rise. Hopefully by the time he would see someone bid on them, especially Diana, his temper would boil over with jealously.

If nothing would happen within a week she would assume her plan had failed and finally move on. At least she would be comforted that she tried her best to get her friend out of his shell. If getting him jealous over Diana would not work, nothing would. The man may be good at controlling his emotions, but he was not invulnerable. She knew like any man, he had a soft spot for at least one woman.

However Batman was not the only one she planned to get jealous. After hearing of Shayera's plight with John, she decided the stubborn man needed to get off his high horse and realize that he should be with the woman he really loves. That was how she was able to convince Shayera; anyway to stun John was worth it to the winged warrior.

Zatanna smiled she was being a relationship therapist over hear like Dear Abby or some counselor. Too bad she could not fix her own personal problems. She was used to men gawking at her, especially in her outfit. Bw'anna Beast would not stop hitting on her either. She felt she would never meet the right guy. Hopefully whoever would buy them at the date auction might be her Mr. Right.

That was another crucial part in the plan. Zatanna had to be sure that Bruce would not bid on them. One reason she feared this was he would never go on a date with them and just donate the money which would make all her hard work for nothing. The other reason was it would lead to total awkwardness. She did not want to make Diana embarrassed, only Bruce and John to an extent.

Like she told Patti though, she was sure Bruce would not bid on her and her friends. Bruce would be too stunned and knocked on his feet to react. The key of the plan was to make sure he was at the event so he could see the woman he loved be bought by another man.

Zatanna sighed, the water was now lukewarm. Slowly getting out of the tub, she unplugged the drain and put her robe back on. She was really looking forward to seeing Bruce's face next week.


	4. Personal Problems

Shayera walked down the hallway to her room. She had just got back from aiding Superman in Kasnia and she got a lot dirtier than she expected. She knew she could not show up in public with dirt in hair and wings. It was bad enough that half the public still saw her as a traitor. Well she did deserve that. The hardest part was not that people did not like her; it was that she knew no one would ever understand her, not even her friends.

Lost in her thoughts she ran into one of the last people she needed to see, John Stewart.

"Shayera," said John, a little taken aback by how she just ran him over.

"O hey John, sorry did not see you there. Did not mean to knock you over," she said half truthfully. She did see him but she did not mean to knock him all the way down. Maybe a little aggressive nudge.

"Hey look we need to talk."

"About what?" Shayera said, trying to hide the hopefulness in her voice. She had already been disappointed too many times before with him.

"What is this about you going to a date auction?"

"Damn it Wally, I am so going to kill you!" Shayera thought to herself.

"I do not see why that is any of your business. I am a single woman after all."

"Look I am just concern as all. People still have issues with the invasion. Some complete stranger might try to buy you to hurt you or humiliate-"

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Stewart. You of all people should know!"

"Look I am just being concerned about a teammate-"

"O is that what I am to you now? A teammate? Not even a friend. You know Batman has issues but at least he is smart enough to stay away from them!"

And with that, the winged woman stormed off, leaving a confused Green Lantern dumbfounded.

"Damn woman," he thought to himself while not trying to admire her as she violently knocked over a surprised Booster Gold. He always did like her when she was really fired up.

Truth be told, Shayera was half right. John was making his personal problems worse by bringing himself close to it. But little did she know he was doing it on purpose. John did love Mari and was determined to defy fate by staying with her, but his heart always belonged to Shayera. If he would not allow himself to be with the woman he real love, the next best thing he could get was to be in close contact with her at all times as a friend or teammate, even if it exacerbated his own problems.

Bruce was right, he was not happy with Vixen, he was only happy with Shayera. But like Bruce his pride would not allow him to be with Shayera. He already had forgiven her of her betrayal, it was the fact that destiny seemed to taunt him was the problem.

"Well now you are being selfish, not only do you deny Rex his existence, you are denying Shayera a son," a voice said in his head.

John ignored the voice with defiance. The future he saw was a product of an accident in time, not written in stone. He saw how time could drastically change things with Vandal Savage. But if his relationship with Shayera was not meant to be, why did he pine after her so much still?

John sighed and decided to go relieve Question on Monitor Duty. The paranoid man was always a control freak on punctuality.

Diana decided to stroll around the Watchtower, it had been awhile since she allowed herself to just look out the windows and observe the beauty of the cosmos. She began to head to her favorite spot, a private observation deck a lot did not know about because it was craftily hidden. She had a feeling the designer purposely designed that way so she and the founders could have some privacy while they tried to focus their thoughts. Despite being aloof, she knew he always had a soft spot for the few people he held close.

She was thus surprised when she saw someone else already standing there, hands closed behind his back. The Man of Steel himself, the most powerful man of the world, looking confused and lost.

"I would not expect you being here. You are usually saving people right now," she teased.

Superman smiled when he heard the familiar voice, "Hello Diana."

She got up and placed her hand on his shoulder, "Penny for your thoughts,"

There was immediately a tense point on her contact. Truth be told, all the rumors about the two of them having a relationship were not too far off. She was always attracted to him when she first met him. She remembered secretly being conflicted about her feelings for him and another certain dark hero. They both were respectable warriors in their own right but different. Superman was a good man, brave, selfless, inspirational, and the strength of character that any Amazon would admire. Batman on the other hand was disciplined, dutiful, and driven, qualities she admired as well.

The problem with both was she knew neither would work out. Superman's heart belonged to someone else, whether he would admit it or not. Batman, well he was another story. The man was the definition of instability. Still her heart seemed to ache after Batman had forsaken her and Superman. She did love both men deeply, but she knew which one had won her heart more, even if that man himself had rejected it.

"Why does my personal life seem such a mess?" Superman finally said breaking the silent tension.

"We all have issues Kal," Diana smiled softly. "Despite our powers we are all human...well you know what I mean."

Superman chuckled softly. "You sound just like Lois."

Diana felt bad with that remark. Lois was a taboo topic around Superman. Especially after his fight with Batman and his breakup with her. But since Superman was showing some levity, she assumed it would be rude to ignore it.

"How is she," she asked politely.

"She is fine. She is getting married in a few months. She cannot even believe she is finally settling down," Superman said trying to look like he was happy for Lois, but Diana saw the hurt in his eyes. At that moment she decided she needed to give her friend some advice. Her personal life may have had issues, but by the gods, Superman did not deserve to have any.

"You still love her don't you?"

Superman's silence was all she needed.

"You can still tell her."

"It's no use. She knew I was not willing to commit when I did not tell her my secret identity. We both made our choices."

"There is still time Kal. If you open yourself up to her, I am sure she will take you back. You both need each other, even if you both are too stubborn to admit it."

Superman chuckled again at Diana's bluntness.

"I miss your brutal honesty."

"We have not had many close discussions in a while."

"I miss this, you know, us talking and teasing with Bru-"

He immediately realized his mistake and stop mid sentence. The taboo with Superman was Lois. When Superman and Wonder Woman were together, the taboo was Bruce. Superman regretted his faux pas when he saw the pain flash thru Diana's eyes.

"I mean-" he tried to say, hoping to salvage the tender moment the two were having.

"It's fine Kal, I got to go. Shayera and I are shopping tomorrow morning."

"Oh," Superman said, a little stunned by her sudden exit. "Well take care then…"

"Good-bye Kal," she said, giving him her gorgeous smile before walking away.

Superman stood transfixed, watching Diana walk away. He knew she for a while had a crush on him but that she would always love Batman. He also even had some feelings for her. Truth be told, when he broke up with Lois, and Batman's sudden resignation from the League, he toyed with the idea that he and Diana could start a relationship. Half the public thought it existed already and they were right, they were both compatible physically and mentally. But he could never in good conscience love her as second best to Lois. Plus he would feel guilty for betraying his friend. Bruce may have been a royal ass, but Superman believed if there was anyone who needed Diana, it was him. A shame the two never worked it out; they both could have been something.

But maybe Diana was right, maybe there was still hope for Lois. They were supposed to do a charity auction this Friday. He already backed out of it, but maybe it was not too late. It seemed the perfect place to try again, he was sure Lois would not mine if he tagged along as Clark Kent. After all, she always hated reporting soft news without him.

Moving at a speed that would make the Flash proud, he reached his room in seconds and picked up a phone. It was a special one designed to make calls in space by Bruce, in case anyone needed to make calls to their love ones if the Watchtower needed to be used as a weapon again. That was Bruce, always thinking a step ahead.

He waited impatiently as the phone rang.

"What the hell?" an angry female voice said on the other line. "This better be important, it's 200 AM.

Good Lord, Superman thought, he lost track of time being in space. Usually he operated in the Metro Tower unless an important founder's meeting was required. It always looked better if Superman was seen on the ground with the people, not above the sky. Yet he would still occasionally come up to space to think and visit some old friends.

"O I am so sorry Lois…It's Clark!"

"What the hell Smallville? O I am so gonna make you pay for lunch for the rest of the week!"

"I know I am sorry Lois. Lois listen are you still doing that charity auction?"

"The one Perry made me do? Yeah. It's Friday. I do not know why he wants me to do it. IT is not real news. Apparently some very special people are going to be auctioned off as dates."

Superman did not care about dates at the moment; the priority was getting to the auction.

"Do you mind if I come with you? I got nothing to do this weekend and would not mind attending a high society function."

"Why not? I am gonna need someone to stop me from drinking too much. I will see you tomorrow; make sure you buy your ticket."

"Ticket?"

"For the airfare dummy. Do you expect me to drive all the way to Gotham?"


	5. The Losing Edge

Batman sat at his computer typing furiously. He had overslept even for the weekends. It was five in the afternoon and he still had a massive hangover. That meant he only had about two hours before he got ready to go back out on patrol. He busied what few time he had left researching the Eye of Montezuma. Not that he was having much luck.

From what he gathered it was some ritual stone the Aztecs had worshipped before the arrival of Cortes. Cortes then took it back to Spain and for a while it was held in the palace of King Phillip II. After the failure of the Spanish Armada, Phillip had sent the eye to the Vatican, believing the Vatican would be more able to keep it safe than his successors. During WWII, Mussolini forced the Vatican to give it to him which he gave to Hitler as a gift to cement their alliance based on Hitler's interest in the Occult.

From Hitler the trail grew cold until it was discovered by some German family in Gotham that had immigrated to the city after the fall of the Third Reich. They have loaned it to the museum for the past 50 years. But that is not what the research on the stone said.

According to legend, the eye of Montezuma would make anyone who possessed it unlimited foresight. They could see visions of future, past, and present. IT also legend told, would give knowledge to the bearer the location of a source of what was roughly translated as "Destructive Power". The Aztecs however instead would use it only for religious purposes. The Aztec priests would use it to try to predict the future outcomes of the weather and wars. Unfortunately, it required a blood payment, hence the human sacrifice.

Whether the eye actually held magic powers was irrelevant, because no one would be willing to offer up a human sacrifice to see if a mere folktale was true. But that was the least of his concerns.

What was bothering Batman was the fact that the Aztec, Catholic, and Ancient Greek religions had nothing in common or no connection. The only way he could rationalize the pattern was the violent thief had a thing for religious artifacts with rumors of immense power. He expected the person behind was someone who did not like to get their hands dirty, hence the use of Selina's aborted attempt at theft. But they still had a willingness to get what they wanted, hence the two murders. Whoever they were, they were sure to try again.

It looked like he would be keeping sentry by the Iceberg Lounge again, maybe he would have a chat with the Penguin and see if he knew anything while he was there.

He jumped in the batmobile and admired how he perfectly fit into the driver's seat. Of course he had it custom made for his form. Driving the batmobile was probably the few pleasures he allowed himself to have anymore other than beating the pulp out of criminals. It was a good outlet to express not only his outrage and frustrations, but his grief as well.

He was already halfway to his intended destination when his private phone rang. Usually he never kept Bruce Wayne's phone with him on mission, but since there was no Alfred to answer and cover his tracks anymore, he felt it was better off to have it with him now.

"Hello," he said in a fake tired voice of Bruce Wayne.

"Cut the crap, Bruce. I know you are in that blasted vehicle right now!"

"What did you want Leslie?" Batman said very coldly.

"I just was giving you an update about Tim," she replied softly in contrast to his coldness.

Bruce felt his heart lurch; he had forgotten that once a week he would call to check up on Tim, but being hung over made him forgot. Thank God for Leslie, she was one of the few people who could keep him functioning.

"I am sorry I have been caught up in a case. How is he?"

"He is doing better actually. He still has nightmares and frequent violent mood swings, but he is finally able to hold long conversations now. I think he might be able to be able to be checked out under constant supervision in a month."

He knew what that meant; she was implying that he become more involved in Tim's life and care.

"WE have been through this before Leslie. I am too wrapped up and with Alfred gone…"

"He needs a father Bruce! You do not need to be the greatest Dad! He needs to know someone loves and cares for him Bruce! You of all people should know that!"

That stung deep in him. He remember Leslie was only able to get him to function normally again due to Alfred's help. His surrogate father. But he was no Alfred. No way was he fit to be a surrogate father. Besides people close to Alfred never got hurt, it was people close to him that would get hurt. He would not allow Tim to be hurt like that again. Nor would he allow himself to feel that pain ever again. IT was all for the best.

"I got to go Leslie. I will call you next week!"

He hung up before she could protest and floored the pedal to his intended alleyway. He was really frustrated now. There better not be any crimes coming his way tonight, or he might lose control.

Jumping out of the batmobile with unnecessary aggressiveness he grappled onto a roof as the vehicle went on autopilot as the capsule closed. Never a good idea to leave the batmobile sitting in one place when he was on a stakeout.

He jumped on the roof and saw his targets. The museum was still standing but they had a few police cars outside it still. Good, the cops heeded his warning on the note. That would lead him enough time to visit an old friend at the Iceberg Lounge. He of course would continue to monitor the museum as a precaution, but at least he felt it was somewhat secure and he could afford to turn his focus away for a few minutes.

He had arrived on the roof and found the air vent he was looking for. This was a vulnerable part of the club, but he knew Penguin would never board it up; otherwise his lounge would lose its infamous iceberg chill without the air vents.

Even with his Kevlar and cape, he was freezing as he crawled thru the vent slowly and surely. He made a mental note to see if he could get a better technologically advanced suit next time. Maybe even change the color too. Red was intimidating as well.

Finally he found his target, the private office of the club's owner and pushed down the air vent with a lot of force, which in turn made a loud crash. He usually was not big on making loud entrances, but he was not on a stealth mission, he wanted the Penguin to talk to him.

"You know I have a window. You could have just used that!" said an aloof aristocratic voice.

Batman turned around to find the Penguin sitting in his office chair aiming an umbrella at him.

"I could kill you right now. "

"I like to see you try," Batman glared back.

"You may think we all see you as invulnerable but I know you Batman very well. You are getting older and slower, as am I. This is why I have retired from my old ways."

"You still have a drug trafficking going on is this club along with small arms as well."

"A man has to keep some business around. Besides last time we met, you really had no problem because you needed an informant."

"I could just cut out the middle man and turn you in myself," Batman said taking a step closer to his target.

The Penguin seemed unfazed by this threat.

"You could, but that would make your life a lot harder. Face it Batman, you are not as young as you once were. Do you think you can handle more strains?"

Batman still glaring relaxed his posture to a less intimidating but nonetheless still imposing stance. The Penguin had a point; he was losing his edge and did not need any more enemies.

"So what brings you hear my pointy eared friend?"

"There have been recent thefts of religious artifacts. One was foiled by me at the museum next door last night."

The Penguin chuckled. "So that's why there are police cars next door, for a minute you had me worried. Why do I get the feeling a certain feline bitch was involved?"

Batman ignored the Penguin's insult to Selina and grabbed him by the throat. She was still a lady who deserved respect and not trash talk like the pathetic piece of garbage the Penguin was.

"That is no way for a gentleman to talk about a lady!" Batman hissed.

Penguin remained unfazed but smiled. "It seems like I hit a sore spot. I thought you two broke up. That is what at least Ivy told me when she was here…"

Batman threw the Penguin to the ground.

"What do you know about it?"

The Penguin realizing it was a matter of time before Batman lost his cool that it would be in his best interest to quit the banter and tell what he knew.

"Look there was some rogues here a month ago trying to recruit some people for a job in a heist on the museum and use the lounge as a base of operations. I kicked them out because I told them I mainly deal with trafficking here, no big heists like that."

"Who were they?"

"I do not know but they were really two nondescript men. Both black hair and brown eyes. Although one did threaten me with a strange knife."

"If you saw them again would you recognize them?"

Penguin snorted. "Batman I get so many shady people in my club who threaten me for not doing business with them. It happens five times a week. Why do you think I had Croc as a bouncer for awhile?"

By then Batman realized the Penguin had nothing new for him and he moved to go out the window.

"O Batman one more thing," the Penguin said as Batman made to jump out the window.

Batman did not turn around but just stopped moving, to signal he was listening.

"One of those rogues did mention something about you at one point when trying to convince me. They said not even the Dark Knight could contend with the will of their master."

Batman responded by turning around and glared again. "Watch me."

And with that he jumped out the window to resume his stakeout.


	6. Getting Ready

"_Gotham? As in Batman's Gotham? As in Gotham-the-home-of-the-man-who-has-been-willing-to-attack-me-with-kryptonite-if-I-ever-set-foot-in-there?"_

Just when he thought his personal life could not get any more complex, fate threw him a curve ball. Superman did not really expect Batman to actually harm him like he threatened to if he set foot in Gotham again. He was more concerned that it would just cause more unnecessary conflict and personal problems. Going to Gotham would be the equivalent of releasing Doomsday from the Phantom Zone, all hell would break loose.

But this might be the only chance he had of winning Lois back so he decided it was worth the risk. Besides, he would be going to Gotham as Clark Kent, not Superman. Batman after all said he wanted the League to have no business in Gotham, not the press.

He was distractedly thinking about this as Lois slammed her fists on her desk. Her computer was broken again.

"Alright?" Clark asked showing concern.

"Smallville I swear to God, this week has it in for me! I cannot believe I am saying this but I am actually looking forward to covering this auction. There's gonna be free champagne and I am going to need it!"

Clark chuckled to himself; he always loved that abrasiveness of her personality.

"You still are coming this Friday aren't you?" Lois asked.

If he was not Superman Clark may have not have heard how her heartbeat picked up when she said that. That caused his own to pick up as well. Maybe this was not doomed to failure after all.

"Of course Lois, would not miss it for the world."

Lois punched him in the shoulder.

"Can it, you sound like Bruce Wayne."

Clark felt guilty again, ruining the hopeful moment he had.

"Actually it is interesting. This charity auction has been attended by Bruce Wayne forever. However since he has become a borderline recluse now, there are rumors he is not going to show up now."

"Is he?" Clark asked trying to hide his overall curiosity.

"I actually called a worker at the foundation, they said Wayne's secretary said he will be there, but the worker did not sound too confident. Bruce Wayne has been a flake for the past years."

"Well you date him a couple times surely you might-"

"Ugh God do not bring that fiasco up. Yes I dated him as you know but we both decided it would not work out. He has a lot of emotional baggage on him. I know some stuff about him that I will not tell anyone including you, but I think he is finally cracking with grief. It is only a matter of time before he does something stupid and impulsive."

Clark knew that Lois was aware of Bruce's nighttime activities and knew she was not referring to Bruce Wayne as the playboy, but rather the cape crusader. But he remembered Clark Kent was not supposed to know about Batman and Bruce Wayne so he had to say something else.

"What you think he's going to get drunk and crash his private plane with all his bimbos?"

"Hey!" Lois said angrily and with hurt. "The man is a sweet man still! And I dated him! Are you calling me a bimbo?"

"No, of course not!" Clark said defensively, realizing his mistake too late.

Before Lois could say anything, Perry's voice was heard calling Clark into his office.

"Well I gotta go! I will talk to you later Lois!" Clark said bumbling out of his seat and to his boss's office.

Lois smirked at Clark's apparent discomfort.

"Saved by the bell, Superman."

Meanwhile across the City of Tomorrow, to female heroines dressed incognito were entering a limo with their arms filled with bags laughing.

"Honestly I must say Di; the way you shot down that creepy clerk hitting on you was priceless. For a minute I thought you were going to beat him down."

"I find sometimes words sting more than fists."

"I don't know, my mace is pretty effective."

The two friends laughed hysterically like teenage girls. It had been awhile since either of them had so much fun together like this. No League, no wars, no disasters, no supervillains. Just two women having some much deserved fun.

Their driver was taken them to the Metro Tower. He was actually Diana's own personal driver from the embassy and could be trusted. They were planning on going to the Metro Tower after shopping and to transport their bags to their rooms in the Watchtower from there. Then the two would have some lunch at a restaurant.

"We definitely need to do this more often!" said Shayera excitedly. "I honestly have not had this much fun since that bar fight with John!"

Diana smirked. She remembered seeing the tape. The bartender gave it to Shayera as a gift. It was one of the happier times she and John had before the invasion. The Amazon was a little shocked that her friend would bring up a painful topic like that, but then again, Shayera was very strong.

"Yes indeed. It's a pity Zatanna could not be with us. Maybe we could have got matching dresses."

"I doubt it Di, we all have different figures."

"You are beautiful too Shay. So is Zatanna!"

"Yea but neither of us is blessed by a goddess of love."

"Being beautiful does not mean I am lucky in love" Diana retorted.

Shayera sensed they were treading on thin ice and decided to veer away from the conversation.

"So how much you think we are gonna go for?"

"I am not a piece meat to be up for bid!" said Dian angrily.

"It's for charity Di! Come on, even you have to have a little vanity."

Diana blushed to herself.

"I do not know, maybe 300,000?"

"Wow you are definitely not a cheap date!"

"It's for all three of us, remember?"

"Haha yea but I thought we would be lucky if we even got to 50 grand, considering many people are still sore about what happened with my people."

"Times have changed Shayera, after Darkseid's invasion, most of the public has accepted you again. They love you!"

"I would like to wish that was true, but it can never be the same. Once you break people's trust and hearts like that, it is nearly impossible for it to be mended."

The two friends sat in awkward silence for a while sadly. Both knew what it was like to have not only their trust shattered but their hearts as well. Finally Shayera decided they should stop moping in self-pity.

"Ahh forget about me. I sound like a cheesy soap opera. What do you want for lunch?"

And with that, the two friends began to quarrel on what was the better place to get some food.

_Few Days Later_

Batman sat frustrated at his computer. Whoever the thief was decided to lie low, so he stopped his nightly stakeouts at the museum since the cops had decided to camp out for another week. His time could be better spent on patrol. However like most nights lately patrol was slow and not good enough anymore to unleash his pent up rage. This is why for the third time this week he had came home early to try to look over old leads.

Unfortunately nothing came up and he was stuck in the rut as usual. Who was the mastermind behind this thief? What did they want with those artifacts? Why did this master seem to personally know Batman?

Of course Batman had no answers and was stumped. In times like this he missed the good old days of his early years when Gotham swarmed with crime. He could always be working o n something. But now with time it seemed not only had everyone else moved on, but his own city as well. Sure Gotham was still rampart with corruption and crime; it just was not like it used to be. Almost not as exciting, he thought guiltily. He was supposed to be Batman as an act of self-less sacrifice, not his own selfish desires.

When he saw it was dawn, he decided to go upstairs and get some much needed sleep before the auction tonight. He took the day off today so he could get ready for it. He also needed it; the Powers fiasco over the past few days wore him out more than a week's job as Batman. With much lethargy he turned off the computer and began the slow ascent to his empty manor.

He was on his way to his own master bedroom to change when he passed the liquor cabinet. He was not planning on drinking at the party tonight, so why not?

He and poured himself a drink. He downed the burning liquid in seconds and looked up to find the visage of his own parents staring back at them. He secretly always hated that painting in the fireplace, it seemed to make them too powerful and less human, but he was never good at letting go. Now it looked like they were looking down on him, judging him for his failures.

And for the first time in a while, Bruce Wayne got onto his knees and wept.

"I have tried. I have tried everything!" he screamed at his parents.

"I gave up the idea of being happy, and now look at me! I am pathetic all alone, slowly aging away!"

He stopped sobbing to pause and down more of the heated liquid straight from his bottle.

"What good was my vow if I am going to die soon? Crime will come back the minute I die!"

He then noticed the cowl which he had forgotten he took off and laid on the chair next to him.

"This is all your fault!" he pointed half-drunkenly to the cowl.

"I gave what you asked! I forsake everything, and what I get in return? Nothing!"

He took another swig and his vision began to blur, he was really losing it.

"Every attempt I made in my pathetic life was for nothing. Nothing matters! We all die anyways!"

And for the rest of the day he continued sobbing and drinking until he fell unconscious.

Zatanna admired her own reflection in her mirror. She was wearing an old dress of her mother's. It was purple and it went well with her flowing black hair and slightly tinted skin. Her amulet that she war complimented it as well. There was a slit as well that allowed her to show a little leg. She was doing this for Bruce and Diana, but she had no qualms about looking good herself.

She went out of her room in the watchtower and head over to Shayera's room. She was walking when she accidently ran into Bw'anna Beast.

"Yo, hey Z….whoa!" he caught notice of her outfit.

"Up here!" she said angrily noticing he was checking out her visible leg thru the slit.

"Sorry, where you going tonight?"

"I do not think it is any of your business!"

"Hey, hey, calm down cheetah! I was just curious that is all. Not every day you see some as beautiful as the gazelle dressed elegantly like this."

"I will take that as a compliment now if you do not mind, I need to be somewhere."

And before he could respond, she stomped away. She thought of him as a really creepy guy always checking her out. He was always sweet to her in his weird way but he was not her type. She could never take someone who dressed and acted like Tarzan seriously.

Finally she reached her destination and banged rather loudly on the door.

"Hold on, give me a second!" came the annoyed voice of Shayera.

Within seconds the door opened, revealing Shayera in a very seductive green dress. It was strapless and her wings poured out of the backless part of her dress. It hang short just above the knees to allow her to wear some black toed heals. Zatanna thought the green suited Shayera, it brought out her eyes.

"You look beautiful!"

"So do you! At least you do not have these wings causing you off balance while wearing these!" she said pointing with disgust to her shoes. "I miss my boots!"

"Shay, I think you look good regardless what you wear," said a generous female voice around the corner.

Both ladies were stunned by the newcomer. They both looked beautiful but between the three, Diana easily won hands down. She had her hair tied on a top but allowed a few curled stands to hang by her face. She wore a red tight dress that accented her generous curves. It also was cut very low, giving an ample view of her long legs. Lastly she wore seductive red heels that gave her already tall form an additional few inches.

"I hope I am dressed well for this," she blushed modestly.

"O my God Di! You are gorgeous! We definitely are going go for 300!"

"Speaking of which we better get going, we do not want to be late!' said Zatanna urgently.

The three women walked to the teleportation center to find Mr. Terrific looking over some notes.

"We need a teleport to these coordinates!" said Zatanna handing him a piece of paper with numbers on it.

Mr. Terrific took it without looking at them and snorted.

"Can't do Zatanna. You know the rules Gotham is off limits…whoa!"

The usually very cold and analytical Mr. Terrific finally noticed the three women dressed very nicely in front of him catching him off guard. Zatanna seeing this took advantage.

"Come on Holt, do it as a favor for us?" Zatanna said flirtatiously.

Shayera caught on and gave a pleading look as well. Diana just looked confused.

"Well I guess I could make an exception…" he said nervously as he inputted them.

"Thank you Holt," Zatanna said winking at him. Soon there was a flashing light and all three women disappeared.

"Women…" muttered Holt shaking his head angrily.


	7. Too Late?

"God I hope they start soon, I am going to pass out if I have another horny bastard hit on me!" complained Lois to an uncomfortable Clark.

"Uh…you want me to handle…"

"I can take care of myself Clark! I just do not want to deal with this right now! O crap its Vikki!"

"Vikki Vale? You know her?"

"We were roommates in college. She has always tried to one up me. She also has never forgiven me for dating Bruce!"

"She seems nice…"

"Smallville, she is a cold hearted bitch who will do anything she can to get her story!"

"Sounds like someone I know…" Clark muttered sarcastically.

"What was that?" she said angrily.

"Nothing," he said quickly. He often swore she had super hearing as well.

Lois turned around and smirked. She heard him all right. She loved making Clark uncomfortable and off his feet like that. It made Superman seem more human, it was also her way of getting back at him for not ever telling her his secret. Did he honestly think after all the times both identities being close to her she would not figure it out? Just glasses and a different hairstyle? Come on! She was Lois Lane, ace reporter!

The three women stood backstage with all the other dates that would be auctioned. Some of the other females were given them dirty and jealous looks, especially Diana. Diana did not notice though, she was nervous now. What if a certain Dark Knight showed up? Worse what if he bid on her? She knew her heart could not deal with the pain anymore. It was really stupid of her to come here to heal, especially when it was located in the middle of Batman's turf.

"Are you alright Diana?" asked Zatanna smiling sympathetically.

"I do not think I should be here. I mean what if Bruce-"

"Who cares?" interrupted Shayera. "You can show him what he is missing if he shows up!"

"Diana, I know Bruce really well. Trust me he will not bid on us. If anything he might run away at the sight of you. You know he is too scared to confront his feelings. Besides, this is about you, not Bruce Wayne. Do not let that arrogant man ruin your night…"

"It's not like he is going to show up anyways," said an elderly woman directing the dates backstage.

"What do you mean?" Shayera asked curiously. Zatanna bit her lip. They were treading on dangerous ground. Luckily the old lady did not hear everything.

"Where have you been? Bruce Wayne has disappeared off the face of the earth. He has become a recluse now, only shows up to work to do business. Does not attend any more parties or charity functions. Just sits all alone in his mansion."

"That is very interesting but if you excuse us, we need to get ready," said Zatanna curtly. She did not want to hear the lady spread nasty rumors about Bruce.

"Why does he do that?" Diana asked, clearly ignoring the witch. Maybe she would get an explanation why Bruce had left the league; why he left her.

"Most say it was because his butler died a few months ago. You all know what happen to his parents, right?"

"I heard they are dead," said Shayera and Diana nodded. By now Zatanna was really trying to think of a way to shut the gossiping lady up. They need not to bring up Bruce's issues now.

"That's it? That is only half the story! They were gunned down right in front of him when he was eight years old!" said the lady, shocked that the two ladies were unaware of the biggest crime in the history of Gotham.

"Some punk mugger shot them when they were walking home from a movie theater. They said he never recovered from it. He was catatonic for a whole year. So most people reason the death of his butler really drove him over the edge. But I do not think that is the reason why he has cut himself off from society."

She leaned in a little closer so only the three could hear her.

"My niece works in the office of Dr. Tompkins. She was the doctor that counseled Bruce when he was growing up thru the trauma. Well last week my niece came after the hours to drop something off, and she saw that Dr. Tompkins was on the phone arguing with someone. She only heard a bit but she overheard her yelling at someone on the other phone named Bruce. Basically Dr. Tompkins was yelling at this Bruce that a certain someone needed Bruce to be there because this someone needed a father. My niece thought it might be referring to this one patient the doctor has been looking after for a year. It is so confidential, that only the doctor knows the patient's name and sees him."

"And you think that is Bruce's kid?" asked Shayera surprised by this recent piece of news.

"Yes and no. Bruce Wayne has adopted two sons. One, Dick Grayson, was a circus boy whose parents died in an accident in front of him. Some people say Bruce took him in out of pity. Well the two of them had a nasty fall out and are estranged from what I hear."

Diana and Shayera made eye contact. They knew about Batman's infamous unstable relationship with Nightwing.

"Well the other one, Tim Drake was a gutter child off the streets. Well last year, right when Bruce started to disappear, he sent off Tim Drake to study abroad."

"Where?" asked Shayera suspiciously. She used to be a detective after all and this story was sounding fishier as she heard.

"He never said. Of course most people accepted it, but the rumors went flying quietly when he stopped showing up. The press thinks it was just his butler's death. But people like me who have gotten to know him better think otherwise. What I think is, something happened to the boy, Drake that caused him to mentally break down. Bruce being the irresponsible coward he is, probably got scared and backed away, and now he feels guilty. The man has its faults, and one of them he does not handle grief well," the old woman said with no remorse in her eyes. She had no really pity for the man.

"Well if you don't mind me I got to go," the old woman said leaving the three ladies in an uncomfortable silence.

Diana felt twinges of pain and confusion. Even though she hated Bruce she had felt guilty when she learned how he saw his parents die. That would probably explain why he was so emotionally withdrawn. But then her mood shifted to anger. That still did not give him the right to treat her, the others like crap, especially Tim Drake, if those rumors were true.

Shayera sat a little taken aback by what she heard. The lady ended up giving the Thanagarian more questions than answers. It was like a really bad suspense movie. There was always a sudden plot twist or agenda, making it impossible to see the clear picture. One thing she knew for certain though, the League was not the only one noticing Bruce cutting himself off the face of the earth.

Zatanna shook her head. That old crone let on more than she even realized. Of course she did not know the whole story, but she got some of the ideas right. This was supposed to be a fun night, not going over Bruce's hardships. She decided it was up to her to steer this negative emotions away.

"Do not worry about that lady. Half these people here do not know what they are talking about."

"Is it true though? Did he really see his own parents gunned down in front of him?" asked Diana, trying to hide the pain in her voice. No child should ever have to endure that.

"Yes it is. But all that other stuff is just rumors, some even started by Bruce himself. Come on ladies we came here to have fun tonight. Bruce is in the past. Let's not trouble ourselves with him."

Zatanna quickly pushed the other two to mingle with the other ladies and even a few gentlemen. Pretty soon everyone was laughing and having a good time talking and Bruce was forgotten. The witch left her two friends to use her phone. Bruce better come up here or else her plans would be ruined.

She made to call his phone but realized that would spoil the surprise. She was then going to call Patti but she saw her earlier. She trusted Patti enough when the secretary assured her that Bruce would be coming.

"Probably just being fashionably late for a dramatic entrance," she muttered sarcastically and made her way back to her friends.

Patti walked around nervously. Mr. Wayne had not shown up and the auction was about to start. She had been trying to call him on his cell but he was not answering.

"Come on you stubborn jerk…" she muttered to herself. Typical Bruce, locks himself in that stupid manor of his.

"Patti?" said a kind old voice.

Patti turned around and saw she was facing Bob Hastings, the Foundation Head.

"O I am sorry Mr. Hastings I did not see you there!"

"No need, and you can call me Bob. I am just asking if we will be graced by Mr. Wayne's presence like he promised?"

"O he will come, he just got held up with some personal stuff. He should be here soon!" Patti said lying straight thru the teeth. Bob seem to not notice and just smiled.

"That is good. The Wayne family has always been generous to our foundation, especially Bruce. It would be a shame if we did not get a donation from him tonight."

"O you will, trust me; he is willing to spend a lot of money."

"Well have a fun night tonight my dear."

"Thank you sir" Patti smiled guiltily. She ran into a corner and dialed a certain cell number she had been trying to call for hours.

"Come on Bruce pick up."

Bruce awoke with a massive ringing in his ear.

"That's one nasty hangover," he thought to himself.

He then realized that the ringing was real and that it was his phone.

"What?" he asked annoyed when he flipped it opened.

"Mr. Wayne!" Patti said exasperatedly on the other line, "Where are you the auction starts in fifteen minutes!"

Bruce looked at the clock and realized what Patti said was true.

"Shit!" Bruce yelled. "I am sorry Patti I got held up! I will be there in a second!"

Bruce made a mad dash up the stairs to his room. Times like these he really missed Alfred in the house always prepared. He jumped in the shower to wash off the smell of liquor from him while simultaneously gargling and brushing his teeth. The last thing he needed was to come in smelling like a drunk, he did want to look bad in front of Bob Hastings, an old family friend.

He then sprinted out of the shower, forgetting to turn it off and put on his best suit cover. He examined himself in the mirror as he put on a black bow tie and comb his hair.

"Hmm not bad Wayne, not bad at all" he said a little smugly before sighing sadly.

He then went downstairs to take the keys to his favorite car before he realized he had forgotten his pants.

"Damn it, I am really losing it!" he cursed himself as he sprinted back up the stairs. Ignoring the mysterious figure in the blue coat and fedora chuckling to himself as Bruce scrambled to get his clothes ready.

"Little does he know the significance of this moment right here," the mysterious figure said to himself before disappearing into the shadows of the manor.


	8. Fond Memories

**Spoiler Alert: This takes place during Batman Beyond Timeline**

_Many Years Later_

"You know you are a stubborn fool?"

"Just like my old man," Terry retorted.

Bruce's weak heart almost gave out at that moment. He knew now? But then again he was his son; it was only a matter of time before he put two and two together. Bruce after all taught him everything.

"Yeah I knew," said Terry. He had come back and did not leave for patrol just yet. Like father, like son, Terry loved to make dramatic exits and entrances.

Bruce sighed, "I take it Amanda Waller talked to you?"

"You knew all this time?"

"I figured it out. I always kept an eye on people like Waller; you can't trust anyone in this world."

For a while Terry thought Bruce was pausing to think of something to say next; when it became clear Bruce had nothing left, Terry spoke up.

"Look, I know you think you were never father material, and I know you did not raise me from birth, but you have been there for me all the time taking care of me and for that I thank you."

Still no response. Bruce could be so cold. He was not good at emotional moments like this.

Terry deciding he was running out of ideas to get a response out of Bruce so he tried a different route.

"I am going to ask Dana to marry me," he said quietly.

For a second he thought he saw Bruce's brilliantly blue eyes lit up in shock but the grouchy old man remain as passive and stone face as ever.

"Congratulations," Bruce said, still staring out the window in his room.

Well it was a start.

"Was there anyone ever special in your life?" he asked curiously.

That finally got a reaction out of the old man. Bruce turned and glared at Terry.

"I do not think it is any of your business," he said menacingly.

"Come on, its father and son bonding time!" he joked. Bruce was hiding something.

"If you want my advice, if you really want to be with Dana go for it. You do not deserve to end up alone."

"Yeah, Waller already gave me the pep talk. Quit sidestepping the question. Was there anyone else in your life?"

"I already told you about Selina and Talia-"

"Yeah but you are Bruce Wayne! Come on there has to be more than two women that have reached your heart like that! I saw you looking at the slideshow a few years ago. Who were those other women?"

Bruce sighed, it was probably better to tell the truth, or at least most of it to get rid of him.

"You already know about Barbara. The other ones were Lois Lane, and Zatanna."

"The famous reporter? I heard she was really bi-"

"Language!" Bruce barked.

Terry stopped the insult.

"Clark and she had a thing when they were young. It is a shame they did not work out."

Now this was interesting, Superman had a love interest?

"What happened?"

"They were like me. They made their choices and moved on."

"And that Zatanna chick, you actually had a thing for her?"

Bruce finally smirked a little, "Where do you think I learned all my escape tricks? I traveled with her father when she was young."

"See I knew Batman was a player!" Terry joked which earned more dagger stares from Bruce. He quickly muttered sorry.

"Did I ever tell you I almost did not become Batman because of a woman?"

"Whoa now you are getting interesting. What was her name?"

"Andrea. She made me think I could be happy again. She brought out a lighter side to me I had not felt since I was eight years old. I proposed to her and everything. I was ready to let go," Bruce said, his eyes with nostalgia.

"What happened?" Terry asked. He hated how he felt like a little kid asking annoying questions but Bruce never opened up like this.

"Her father was caught up in the mob. She chose him over me and they fled."

"Did you ever saw her again?"

Bruce sighed sadly. Terry was sure he could see tears beginning to form in his eyes. Maybe he pressed too far.

"I did. She came back to Gotham. For a second I thought we could start all over again. Little did I know she was just using me to distract me from discovering she was killing mobsters out of revenge for her father. I tried to save her from the darkness, but she was too deep."

And then Bruce finally began to break down.

"I am sorry I have left you with this burden Terry. I did not want you in this life but now look. Sooner or later you are going to find out that Batman always needs to be alone."

Terry step forward and placed a comforting hand on his father's shoulder.

"Well I am going to prove you wrong Bruce with Dana."

"I hope so. I may have forsaken my chance for happiness, but I will be at least comforted if you became a better man than me. A much happier, brighter man. A man, who did not drive himself alone," Bruce said looking into Terry's eyes with the utmost pain.

Terry patted the shoulder and made to leave, but he was still a little curious.

"Who was Diana?" he asked.

Immediately Bruce's eyes darted angrily at terry. It looked like he found the jackpot.

"Don't deny it. You have been calling her name sometimes in your sleep," Terry shot out before Bruce could clam up.

Bruce did not sigh or broke down this time instead he kept giving the icy stare at Terry, almost daring the younger man to push further.

"Diana is happier without me right now. That was just a fairy tale that somehow we could both have a happy ending. There is nothing to discuss about her. We were just friends, nothing more."

"If you say so," Terry said suspiciously. "Well I gotta head out."

Bruce did not say anything but resumed his vigil of staring angrily out the window.

Terry was out the door before he turned around and spoke one more time,

"But that's not what Clark said about you and her," he said knowingly and exited the room before Bruce could respond.


	9. Regrets

**Still in Batman Beyond Timeline**

Diana sighed with mix nervousness and anticipation; the last time she was here was so long ago. She did not even recognize the manor now. It seemed empty and a little more sinister instead of the warmth it once offered. Maybe that was because it was night, or maybe because there was no Alfred to greet her. She made her way up to stairs toward a faint source of light.

Diana had left Man's World a few years after Batman resigned from the League. Her mother rescinded her banishment and offered her to return home. The League itself was downsizing anyways, not much global threats anymore. She felt it was time for her to retire and be with her family for the rest of her immortal life. Besides there was not much worth staying for anymore.

Well that was not totally true; there were her friends among the founders. But most had settled down and found happy lives. She could not be with her friends while they raised their families and she remained alone. It was time to move on.

Now she was back here again for the first time in ages. More bad omens had appeared, and the Queen did not trust Diana's replacement as ambassador, who was selected by the gods, to handle it so she sent her daughter instead. Diana at first objected, the gods had already selected their champion, but Hippolayta was insistent. Diana had a feeling her mother was trying to get her to reconnect with Man's World again.

When Diana returned to Thermyscara, the Queen noticed she was not as happy. Eventually the Queen deduced her daughter missed her friends in Man's World. But Diana was too stubborn, her friends had moved on and so had she. Finally though the Queen was able to get her to go by revealing the threat that mankind would be in its darkest hour again. Diana may have moved on, but she still had a great love for earth and man's world.

She had already met the New League since she returned. It was not as glorious as it had been in the Golden Age, but it still was respectable. Kal was still running things. In fact that was pretty much his whole life without Lois. The two never married. She ended up in an abusive marriage with a man she divorced after ten years and moved out of Metropolis. It broke Kal's heart. That saddened Diana. He deserved to have settled down and have a happy life as well.

What interested her the most was the new Batman. Never in all her life did she expect Bruce to allow someone to replace him. But when she talked to Terry she learned that he became Batman by stealing the suit after he stumbled upon it by accident. Diana chuckled at this story.

She had been with the League investigating the threat for three months when she overheard Terry and Kal talking about Bruce. She thought he had died a long time ago but learned he was still alive. But from the conversation she overheard, he did not have much time left.

Of course she was angry at first that no one bothered to tell her that her old friend was still alive, but then again she remembered that Bruce had rejected all his friends.

She felt a mix feeling of dread and anxiety as she inched along the hallway. She could back out now but she was an Amazon. She would never back away or retreat from anything. Slowly she crept to the room with light pouring out and gently knocked on the door.

Immediately she heard violent wheezing and coughing. If it was not for her super hearing she would not have heard a weak voice say, "Come in Terry."

Summoning up all her courage she opened the door and gasped at what she saw. Bruce had been shrunken, his body feeble and entire muscle mass all gone. His head was bald and covered with liver spots. His limbs looked like thin sticks that could barely move. She realized that he was bedridden. The only thing that stood out was his eyes. They still had that deep shade of blue which were glaring back at her.

"_He still has that at least,"_ she thought to herself.

"What are you doing her Diana?" growled the ancient man.

"What is wrong with me visiting an old friend?"

"I mean here. You departed from Man's World fifty years ago. In fact fifty years ago from today."

She was shocked that he remembered the exact date. Her heart fluttered a bit. Did she still mean that much to him? But then again he once was Batman, he knew everything.

"Checking up on me?" she grinned putting her hands on her hips and smiling haughtily.

For the first time in a while Bruce smiled. He remembered that night. It will always be a special night for him, their short dance in Paris, him interrogating a Kasnian soldier, and then sneaking into the room to be sure she was alright. But those days were gone.

Diana herself was shocked by his show of affection. She was still unsure but she was willing to bet now that she still meant a lot to him. Her little cloud of hope was interrupted by a sigh of sadness from Bruce.

"It has been a long time."

Diana nodded sympathetically, "It has. Last time I was in Gotham actually was for a charity date auction."

When Bruce looked confused she answered, "Shayera, Zatanna, and I were auctioned off for a charity auction. Some creepy man Powers bought us."

Bruce smirked. "So I guess that asshole's father was telling the truth that he had one date with Wonder Woman. Never believed him. I once missed an entire auction because I was passed out and hung over. I really did not get involved in the social events after my res-"

He stopped right there and closed his eyes. That event pained him greatly. His eyes were filled with regret. Diana on impulse reached her hand out and grasped his weak one and gripped it tightly.

"We all have regrets Bruce. Sometimes we just have to live with them."

"I regret a lot of stuff Diana. My whole life is all about regret. I thought I could never be allowed to be happy so I made sure I was miserable. I pushed people away to avoid hurting them and myself, when in reality everyone got hurt. It finally took me to be dying right now to finally realize how wrong I have been."

Diana's eyes welled up with tears. He was a good man he did not deserve this fate.

"But now Diana I am at peace now. I still regret a lot of things, but I can die now for once in my life content that my parents' legacy was remembered. Batman will live on forever."

Diana smiled. She made up to leave her friend spend his final hours alone but his hand still grasped hers.

"Diana…" he whispered before coughing again.

Diana looked at him uncertain what would happen next.

"I am sorry for all the pain I caused you and that I was too big of a stubborn idiot to have realized that I could have…" he started coughing again. But Diana knew what he meant to say. She, with eyes still welling with tears bent down and kissed him on the forehead.

"I am sorry too Bruce. For being too proud and giving up on you."

"Stay with me?"

Diana felt uncertain and nervous. She did not want to be around and see her friend slowly die, but he needed her now.

"Of course," she smiled and sat in a chair next to his bed holding his hand.

Bruce managed to live throughout the night. It was when the sun rose in Gotham his heart finally stopped beating. He had died peacefully in his sleep. Diana put her head on his heart just to make sure it was not beating and made up to leave. She decided she would just fly out the window; she could not bear walking thru the whole manor again. As she opened the window, the warm morning air greeted her.

As in a moment of irony, she started crying. Her whole grief had finally come pouring out. She always was very open about her emotions, but when it came to crying she usually was more reserved and too proud to do it. But for Bruce she would make an exception.

"Good-bye Bruce," she said tearfully before leaving her friend for good.


	10. Sacrifice

_1 month later, Metropolis (Batman Beyond Timeline)_

Diana felt dizzy when her eyes opened. She could not hear anything except an annoying ringing in her ears. The whole world had seem to have been moving very slow. She saw as Kal was tossed to the ground, his mouth coughing up blood. He moved to get up, but one of the ruined buildings of Metropolis collapsed on him.

"KAL!" she tried to scream but her voice was still gone. She could barely breathe. She felt a firm gloved hand grasp her shoulder.

"Come on Diana we need to get out of here!" Terry yelled as he took off in the air carrying her.

At that moment Dian may have not found her strength again but she did find her voice.

"No he's not dead! He can't be! We have to go back!"

"Diana! Superman is gone! There is nothing we can do right now! We need to retreat or we are going to get crushed!"

"I never retreat. Even if that means I will die so be it!"

"Well I can't let that happen!" retorted Terry before he sprayed some knockout gas in her face to prevent her from struggling while he was carrying her.

"You will thank me later," he muttered as he got in the Batwing before taking off.

It was a miracle Terry thought that he was able to pilot the broken Batwing back to Wayne Manor without crashing. He was all out of energy and had some broken ribs. It was even a bigger miracle that he was not even intercepted along the way.

He arrived in the cave and parked the batwing. Diana had still not regain consciousness yet. Terry with much difficulty limped up the staries carrying the Amazon with him.

"For a woman with a body like yours, you sure do weigh a lot" he muttered sarcastically to himself.

"I…mmmheard…thaaaat," said Diana regaining consciousness.

Terry lowered her on a couch, "How are you feeling?"

"You knocked me out!"

"You were going to get yourself killed. You were losing control!"

"You abandoned Kal! How could you? He is Superman!"

"And he was just killed out there! Look if even Superman could not stop this head on what makes you think any of us could?"

Diana was silent for a moment. She would never admit it but Superman was the best out of all the heroes in the League, includign her.

She sighed. "This is all my fault. I did not investigate the omens as hard as I should. I should have seen this coming if I had looked into this harder. Because of my failure the whole world is going to end."

Terry sat down next to her and put his arm on her shoulder.

"I do not think any of us could have seen this coming. Not even Bruce. Well maybe if he was in his prime again, but that is not the point. There is no one to blame. We will regroup with the others. We will win this!"

"I am afraid you won't the world is doomed," said a cool deep voice on the other side of the room.

Immediately both heroes got in a defensive fighting stance as the newcomer stepped into the light. He was a man wearing a blue overcoat and matching fedora. He wore a strange medallion around his neck and his eyes, which were an eery blank white, had shadows cast around them which made him look like a masked bandit.

"Fear not I mean you no harm!" he waved his hand gently to them.

"Like we are going to believe that," snorted Terry. "You just break in here and tell us the world is doom?"

"It is. But there is a way to save it. I can help."

"Like we are going to trust you stranger?" asked Terry who still had not let his guard down.

"He is telling the truth Terry," said Diana lowering her guard.

Terry whirled his head in shock at her, "What makes you say that?"

"He has my lasso draped around his neck," she said matter of factly.

The mysterious stranger grinned as he handed the lasso to her. Diana then eyed him suspiciously.

"The question is how did he get it?"

"You left that in the plane of yours. It is a very interesting item I must say."

"It's good that you guys are bonding over accessories but can we back to saving the world?" interrupted Terry impatiently.

"Like I said, the world is doomed," the stranger said as he paced around the room coldly. "It is beyond saving."

"How can you be sure of this? Not even Apollo or the Oracles were that gifted in foresight," demanded the Amazon.

"I am not a god or an oracle. In fact I am just a man, or was a man. A long time ago I took pleasure in beating an innocent man who was then executed in the most horrific fashion. The thing was I knew he was innocent, but I still took pleasure in it because it allowed me to blame someone for losing my family. Little did I know how important this man was and what he did for the world," explained the mystery man.

"Who was this man?" Terry asked curiously.

"His identity does not matter to the conversation right now. As punishment I was separated form humanity. I was given powers and gifts beyond what any of you can imagine, but I was lost. I was not dead or alive. I feel no pain or love, just unrest. My sentence has been to repent for my sins by watching over humanity and try to help them as best I can."

"Well why not help us now?" asked Terry.

"I am not allowed to interfere, I only can give advice or point people in the right direction. In the end though it always comes down to the free will of humanity. It kind of ironic, I may seem to have all this power, but in the end it is really useless when limited. I am really powerless compare to you all."

And to demonstrate he revealed that his wrists were bound in gauntlets, not that different from Diana's except his looked more oppressive and sinister.

"Well if it always comes down to a choice, why do you say the world is doomed?" Terry asked, suspecting this man was just a lunatic.

The stranger calmly stopped pacing and dramatically turned toward them slowly.

"Because we have reached the point where choices of humanity do not matter anymore. We have crossed the Threshold. I see all the possible routes and they all end the same. The world is doomed."

"But you said there was a way!" Terry cried accusatorily.

The stranger nodded. "There is, but to do that you need to change the past."

"Do you got a time machine in that coat?" Terry asked sarcastically.

"No one will be going back in time. I was offered five hundred years ago to be allowed to change one thing in the past as a gift for my work. That meant I could stop myself from committing my sins and I would be free."

"But why did you not?" asked Diana sympathetically. She knew the feeling of wanting to change the past was like.

"Because I felt it would be selfish of me to do something to benefit me but forsake the world. I decided to save this gift until the world was at its darkest hour."

"Which you think is now?"

"Yes, I believe there is no hope now."

"Well what are we waiting for?" said Terry. "Why do you not use your gift and go save the world?"

"It is not that simple. For to change a past, a sacrifice must be made."

"Sacrifice?" asked Diana a little nervous. She knew what happened when divine beings demanded sacrifice.

"That is why I came to you, Diana Princess of Thermyscara. You will have to make it."

"No you can't let her do this!" shouted Terry angrily. He had grown fond of her over the past few months and did not want to lsoe her as well.

"Terry if I have to give my life up to save the world so be it. I am prepared to die."

"I am afraid that is not the sacrifice I am talking about," said the stranger coldly.

Terry looked angrily at the man, "What do you mean that is not a sacrifice?"

"She is willing to give up her life to save the world on a daily basis. The sacrifice I am talking about is something she would not rather give up so easily. And I cannot just accept a sacrifice you pick, that's not how it works."

"What do you mean?"

"When you change the past, there are consequences. Things change, people die or live. You have traveled thru time before, you understand that?"

"What will happen if I accept this offer?" Diana asked nervously. She did not like where this was going.

"I am not allowed to tell too much, but I can show you what will happen if the past is changed and the world is saved."

And with a flick of his wrist the stranger brought up a fireball that began to spin wildly. Eventually the fireball flatten out to about the size of a mirror. An image began to grow in the center before it completely covered the fireball. The scene below them was Diana on her knees sobbing.

"Is that me?" she asked uncertain. She had never knew she could show so much grief and sorrow.

The stranger said nothing and pointed to the image. Diana was now clutching a body, crying over it; a body draped in a cowl shaped in a bat, covered in blood…

"No…" said Diana.

The image disappear. The stranger looked at her.

"This is what will happen if the world is saved. Batman must die!"

"There must be another way," she pleaded.

"There is no other way. I could easily go back and change the past myself, but it is your choice. It is your right to choose. You must make the sacrifice if you want to save the world."

Diana sighed. She was comforted by the fact that Bruce died in peace. She could not in good conscience condemn him to die. Not before he finally forgave himself and even met his son…Terry.

Terry oh gods. He might not even exist if this happens.

As if reading her thoughts Terry gently grabbed her hand.

"Do it Diana."

"I can't you might not even exist."

"You don't know if Amanda Waller got his DNA before or after this incident. For all you know part of me is still in a test tube when this occurs."

"Even so, I can't kill Bruce. I cannot rob him of finally finding some peace."

"He would want you to Diana. If you will not do it for the world, do it for him. How do you think he would feel if he learned he was the only thing from stopping you from saving the world?"

Diana lowered her head. The stranger was right, she really was making a sacrifice. Bruce would not mind being killed, but she could never bear him dying like that. Broken, alone, and angry. She cared for him too much. But she also respected him for his mission. She knew what she had to do.

Diana approached the stranger who had not said a word the entire time.

"Do it," she said with the most determination she could muster.

"You understand I will really only change one thing. There is a great possibility the world will still be doom due to human free will. In fact Batman might die for nothing. But if the world is saved, Batman will die."

"I understand."

"Do you also understand you will not ever be aware of this decision in the past and that if this succeeds, your life for the past fifty years will change for better or worse?"

"For the sake of the world, yes."

"Very well."

"Wait," shouted Terry causing the stranger to pause.

"What happens to you if the past is change? Will you remember this? How can you change the past like that? It makes no sense."

The stranger smiled. "I transcend time and space, I am neither here nor in the past, but does that mean I am still not here?"

And before either could respond the Stranger disappeared leaving them puzzled.

_Wayne Manor Present Time_

The Stranger walked around the manor admiring the architecture. It was very impressive and inviting, compared to how it looked fifty years in the future. He strolled over to his target, a man drunk passed out on the floor. His cell phone was next to him ringing.

"Not even the Apocalypse could wake you up from this slumber," joked the Stranger. With a wave of his hand, a small light shot out and hit the passed out man on the floor reviving him form his drunken slumber.

The stranger backed away unnoticed, amusing himself as the man ran around in panic trying to get his clothes on. Especially when he forgot his pants.

"Humans and their punctuality," he laughed to himself.

"You are wasting your time. The world is doomed to die as it was supposed to be," whispered a hoarse voice.

"Hello Spectre. And unlike you I have faith."

"Phantom Stranger, your methods are foolish, there is such a slim chance for the world to be saved. All you have done now is sped up the great doom by 50 years."

"It was worth the risk."

"You place too much faith in the will of humans. They have brought this on themselves. They are responsible for their own downfall. Do not waste your time watching this. You know you cannot interfere, do not let yourself be agonized by this."

The green Spectre faded away leaving Phantom Stranger alone as he watched Bruce Wayne finally fully dress exit his house and sped away.

"Little does he know the significance of this moment right here," Phantom Stranger said to himself before disappearing into the shadows of the manor.


	11. Chaos Theory

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome. Tonight we will be starting the bidding for the first date. Please step up Ms. Lynn," said the auctioneer pompously.

Clark was surprised. Usually auctions back in Smallville were less fancy and often faster paced. The auctioneer however was taken his sweet time.

"Smallville I got a question for you," asked Lois interrupting his thoughts.

Clark looked at her raising an eyebrow.

"How much do you think I would make if I sold myself?"

"Like a prostitute?" Clark joked.

"The farm boy has some humor after all!" She laughed and punched him the arm. She did not really punch that hard like she usually did, probably because she was a bit intoxicated. She was right; she would drink too much here.

For a while the two sat quietly throughout the whole auction not keeping any real conversation except for an occasional drunken snide remark or outburst from Lois. Thank God they were in the back so no one would notice.

"I wunda whooz lasp?" slurred Lois.

"What was that?" said Clark while he slowly took Lois's glass away from her unnoticed. She had plenty tonight.

"I said who's gonna be last? They always save the last date for usually the most expensive or famous one at these kind of events."

"I do not know, probably Bruce Wayne," he said sarcastically.

"Hey I know sarcasm when I see it Superman!" she said loudly.

Unfortunately Clark was not aware of her little slip because he had decided to use his x-ray vision to look behind the stage. Not for any perverted ways of course. He was the boy scout still. He just wanted to see who was last in line. When he saw a woman in red he yelped in shock right when Lois accidently called him Superman.

"What she doing here?"

"Who Vikki? I don't know she is a real bitch I tell you!"

"Never mind you will see soon" groaned Clark.

"Come on. Come on!" Bruce yelled in frustration as he tried to get thru traffic. His phone was ringing again.

Swearing under his breath while simultaneously honking the horn he pulled out his cell and opened it.

"What?" he said very annoyed and exasperated.

"Mr. Wayne! It's Patti! Where are you? The auction is almost over! I told Mr. Hastings you would be here."

"Alright look, I am running a little late. Just bid on the last item and make it large and generous. If someone tries to outbid you just outbid them!"

"But I do not have that kind of money…"

"God dammit Patti, you bid for me!"

"O okay but don't you want to know who?"

"Don't care!" Bruce shouted as he hung up.

He really felt like an ass for how he treated Patti on his phone. She was a really nice person and did not deserve that.

Mr. Hastings deserved a large donation from him, especially after he missed the entire auction. That is why he told Patti to buy the last item for a generous price. It would probably be some celebrity. He dated so many it would be nothing new.

He finally saw an opening on an exit and floored it. This shortcut of his went right by the Iceberg Lounge and the museum. Unfortunately he forgot to account for that there were police cars still on stakeout as he sped by, way pass the speed limit.

He groaned inwardly when he saw the sirens flash on him as he turned around the corner. This was exactly what he did not need. Driving as far as he was allowed, he finally stopped about a block away from the auction. God could be ironic like that.

Patti went to the auctioneer who was talking to Mr. Hastings.

Mr. Hastings was giving the auctioneer for some instructions,

"Now make sure to be really respectful for these ladies. They are gracious and polite enough to come out here to be our grand prize, I think it would be wise to start at a high bid…O Patti where is Mr. Wayne? We are about to get the final prize."

"He is on his way sir. I will be bidding for him on his behalf until he gets here."

"So Mr. Wayne wants the grand prize, that is so much like Bruce."

Bob walked away chuckling leaving Patti nervous. She never actually bid on an auction before so she was not sure what to do. Usually she did not attend these charity events.

"Nervous my dear?" said the auctioneer privately.

"I just do not know how to bid really. I have not been paying attention because of my boss…"

The auctioneer smiled. "Just raise your hand and say the amount. Do not worry. It will not get out of control with people yelling at each other like some redneck county fair."

Patti chuckled nervously and went back with the audience as the auctioneer began to clear his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen. We now have a special surprise gift. We here at the Heartridge Foundation have saved the best for last. And by best, I mean three best. With us today are three of the Justice League's most beautiful ladies. May I first introduce, Zatanna Zatara, Mistress of Magic."

Zatanna stepped out grinning at the crowd which was given her a polite, but nonetheless thunderous applause. She was a local heroine after all since she lived in Gotham and was actually known to perform her show at high class functions. She was even named one of Gotham's most eligible bachelorettes.

"And soaring down the skies with her angelic wings, may I welcome the very lovely Shayera Hol!"

If Zatanna's entrance was graceful, Shayera's was anything but. She had lost her balance and almost tripped and face planted to the floor. Luckily the auctioneer caught her arm just in time. Also unlike Zatanna, Shayera's applause was not excited but lukewarm at best. She could even hear a few people muttering behind their breaths. Maybe it was a mistake to come here, at least without her mace.

"And lastly, ladies and gentlemen we are graced by the presence of royalty today. May we all take a bow to Diana, Princess of Thermyscara!"

If Zatanna's applause was great, Diana's was a hurricane. Diana was surprised that so many upper class people would get so excited to see her. She almost blushed by all the support she was receiving, but she was royalty, she was used to this. She, with the poise only a princess could muster, smiled and wave and made to stand next to Shayera and Zatanna.

"Well Mr. Wayne what brings you out here this evening?" the patrol cop mocked as he shone a light in his face.

To any man hung over the light would have made the person sensitive and dizzy. It took Bruce all the amount of self-control he could muster to not flinch. Thank God he got the alcohol stank away from him earlier.

"Look officer, I do not mean to be rude, but I am kind of late to this auction right now."

"O I see, you think because you donate to a charity you can get off scot free?"

"No officer, look I am really late and I promised the foundation manager I would…"

"I clocked you at going 95 bub; there is no way I am letting you off. And since you have been soo polite to me I am going take my sweet ass time in writing this up."

Bruce groaned inwardly, he did not need to deal with this now, not with this idiot. His life was really falling apart. He cannot even make it to one auction without causing trouble. The idea of killing off Bruce Wayne and becoming Batman all the time was becoming more likeable by the minute. However neither billionaire nor cop was aware of two shadowy figures standing on the rooftop a few blocks away staring at the museum that was short one police car.

"Look they are short on security. It is time to strike now Pierre!" said one man as he got a grappling hook.

"It is still swarming with plenty of men. We will need to be quick or else incur the wrath of the master!"

"Alright we will start the bidding at 250,000. Do I hear a 250?"

Shayera smirked and nudged Diana. "We are close and it's only the opening bid."

By now the bid had raised pass 300. Several men were raising their hands along with a scared looking woman. Diana was not sure but she could have sworn she saw Zatanna eyeing and mouthing something to the woman who was bidding. Oh well, she was actually feeling a little of pride of how much the three of them were raising by just standing there.

By the time it got to 500, there were only a few left, the woman, and two men.

"Do I hear a 525?" said the auctioneer. "525 anyone?"

"550!" said an arrogant old man smugly.

"Damn it Powers, you win!" said the defeated other man. That left only the woman and Mr. Powers.

"Going 550 once,"

"600!" squeaked a nervous voice causing everyone to stare at the nervous woman.

God this was exciting and scary at the same time. She was not only worried on how her boss would react but how Zatanna would, who seemed to be staring daggers. She guessed Zatanna wanted to make Bruce jealous, not actually be bought by Bruce.

"600? Can I get a… 650?"

"700!" blurted Powers looking down Patti like a lion does before its prey.

"850!" said Patti impulsively.

"Shit is definitely going to hit the fan tonight," swore the boy scout under his breath. He normally did not swear, but who could not in the train wreck that was unfolding.

"Hahaha, you said shit!" said Lois a little too loudly causing a few stares at them.

"_Just what I need. All I need is Darkseid, Brainiac, and Luthor to all come back right now. I would even take Doomsday at the moment,"_ he thought to himself darkly.

Shayera was looking smug with herself. She was hoping the creepy man would win. Not that she would ever let that creep touch her, but it would make John more jealous and protective of her. Oh she could be manipulative when she wanted to.

Diana smiled at her friend's smug look. It was good Shayera seemed to be enjoying herself. She was a little worried the money was going too much, but it was for charity. She remained oblivious to a sweating Zatanna on the other side of Shayera.

Zatanna was fuming with anger and frustration. There was no way Patti had that kind of money, which could mean only one thing: Bruce told her to buy the last item no matter what the bid without even looking into it. This plan was spiraling out of control. She was trying to end the drama and now she was throwing the match in the dynamite factory.

"Going 1.25 million once…."

Bruce frustratingly bang his head on the steering wheel dramatically. This cop was being a royal ass. He wish Gordon was still in charge, he would not let crap like this fly.

As if some god finally heard his cries, the cop's radio buzzed. Whatever it was it seemed urgent enough for the cop to look annoyed.

"You got lucky Mr. Wayne. Unlike you I am busy protecting this city. Next time I will not be so easy," and with reluctance the officer went into his car and sped off.

"Have a good night officer," Bruce muttered sarcastically before speeding away. Normally he would be interested to see what the police disturbance was, but he was not Batman right now. He was Bruce Wayne a man of his word, who was very much late.

"Almost there," he said as he looked desperately for a valet.

"1.5 million!"

This was the most fun Patti was ever having. The look on that arrogant Powers's face was priceless. Obviously he was not expecting a little secretary to outbid him.

"Looks like somebody's not getting what he wants!" Lois cackled gleefully while Clark tried to restrain her. She was still mad about Powers hitting on her and was taking in great delight of seeing him being angry at someone beating him.

Zatanna sat cursing to herself; this was definitely getting out of control. Thank God Bruce was not here, this would make it more awkward than it already was.

"1.6 million!"

The room went quiet. Everyone looking at Patti expecting her to make the next move. Patti swallowed hard and decided to go big to get Powers off his feet.

"2 million!"

There was a lot of gasps from the crowd and an "oh shit!" from a drunken Lois. Zatanna was really groaning on the inside. Shayera was shocked. Clark was distracted by Lois. Powers was fuming. Only Diana seemed oblivious, she was happy that they were raising so much money.

"Going two million once…"

Powers stormed off angrily with his arrogant son Derek following him. That meant it was all over.

"Going two million twice…"

The whole crowd started clapping at Patti. Zatanna sighed. At least it was over for now. She knew Bruce would give her hell about this but at least he was not here. When she looked at a man coming in the door she realized she spoke too soon.

"Sold. These three lovely ladies will be going on a date with the one and only Mr. Wayne who has just arrived folks!" The auctioneer said smugly as a spotlight shone on a confused Bruce, blinding him momentarily.

At the mention of his name, the room went silent for the umpteenth time tonight. This time accompanied by a lot of whispers and murmurs and gasps of shock.

Clark had just realized what had happened; looking at Bruce with a look that definitely did say "Oh Shit!" which Lois was happily able to say again tonight.

Bruce finally adjusted his eyes to see who was on the stage. What he saw caused him to even be caught off guard.

On the stage stood Zatanna looking shocked and guilty; next to her stood a just as shocked Shayera; but what struck out him the most was the angry Amazon next to her staring daggers back at him.


	12. Fallout

Flash flicked the paper football at the makeshift field goal B'wanna Beast had made.

"And he scoooorrrrresss!" Flash said over dramatically.

"Will you two knock it off?" said an irate Green Lantern who was watching a video clip of Captain Atom and Stargirl leading an evacuation of a fire in a hotel on the news. The three of them got stuck on monitor duty together. John as an ex-marine was all about professionalism and believed in doing the job diligently. Unfortunately the two bone heads he was stuck with had no concept of that at all.

Another paper football was flicked, this time hitting John in the back of the head.

"Goddamnit! Wally! How old are you?"

"Relax GL," said Flash laughing at GL's sudden outburst. "There is nothing going on worth 'monitoring'," he made exaggerated finger quotes.

"Yo dudes, check it out! Isn't that Zatanna?" B'wanna Beast said as he was channel surfing thru the monitors and came across a late night news report for Gotham.

"Are you sure dude?" Flash asked skeptically. He did not know Zatanna that well.

"Of course it is! I know my girl!"

John snorted at the man's idiocy to think that Zatanna would have any interest in him.

"Hey John, isn't that Shayera?" said Flash watching the report.

"What? Turn it up!" John said a little hurriedly.

"Yo there's Wondy too!"

"Why are they doing in Gotham, that's off limits now?"

"Shut up both of you!" shouted John as he cranked the monitor to here the cast.

"…_but gracing the auction with their presence they also went up for a record bid of 2 million dollars for the Heartridge Foundation. Of course the bid was made by the one and only, Gotham's Prince, Bruce Wayne!"_

A picture was brought up of Bruce with a photo of the three women at the auction. Obviously none of the occupants in the photo seemed comfortable at all. In fact both Bruce and Diana seemed really angry. The news reporter however, in an annoyingly cheerful attitude seemed oblivious by the telltale signs and continued the report.

"_So when can Gotham expect to see it's prince take these lovely ladies out? Or will he take them separately? Already the internet is running wild with rumors…"_

Flash turned off the feed. He then looked at B'wanna Beast who seemed legitimately hurt. He expected that, Beast had an obvious crush on Zatanna. But what shocked him was the look of John's face. It seemed to have been frozen in permanent shock.

"_And to think, five minutes ago I was complaining about being bored up here_…" the speedster thought to himself as he realized what can of worms had just been unleashed.

Diana had smashed the head of Bruce Wayne wiping off the smug look on his face. She then kneed him in the crouch and threw him over her head.

"That…evil…vile...arrogant…selfish…greedy…pig!" she bellowed in between repeated punches.

"Diana I think you have let loose enough," said a nervous voice in the other room. Immediately, the mangled form of Bruce Wayne disappeared to be replaced by a droid, or what was left of the droid.

"Diana you have been here for hours. You are gonna wear out the training room. It is not like we got an endless supply of droids."

Diana was still breathing angrily and irregularly. She was still wearing the dress she wore to the auction which was torn all over the place and stained with sweat and dirt. Somehow it had made her look more provocative in a way.

"I am serious Di. You have vented enough; I think it is time we talk."

"This is all your fault!" said Diana angrily.

"How is this my fault?" Shayera's temper was just as short as Diana's.

"If you did not talk to me to go to that stupid auction I would not have been humiliated by-by..him!"

"How was I supposed to know he would show up and bid on you? Besides if I recall you wanted to go to stick it to him yourself!"

"Well he stuck it to me! Do you realize what has just happened? That asshole just bought me, me for two million dollars. Two million! It is like him telling everyone he owns me!"

"You did not have a problem when other people were bidding on you!"

"Because that was for charity and they were not Bruce! That man has already caused me enough pain and you just gave him more fuel!"

"Diana calm down! I am sorry that Bruce-"

"If you were not so bent out of shape about John and trying to make him jealous this would have never happened!" Diana interrupted accusatorily. That did it for Shayera. She was stunned by the insult, but only momentarily.

Normally she would go wallow in self-pity, but her temper had already boiled over. Plus she had her mace with her.

On impulse, the Thanagarian swung her mace with much speed and violence knocking the Amazon off her feet. Diana responded by tripping Shayera on the ground, but Shayera was too quick for that. Immediately she flew into the air, Diana following her.

Shayera took another violent swing at Diana which she blocked with her bracelets. She had put them on without changing into her uniform before she went into the training room.

Diana responded by head butting Shayera causing her to groan.

Shayera knew Diana could easily take her out, hell she took out four league members without breaking a sweat, but Shayera was angrier this time. She actually wanted to hurt her friend. She waved the mace again, hitting Diana square in the face, causing her to bleed a little.

Diana yelped in pain and shock at the cheap hit. This was no longer sparring, this was all out war. Even though the two liked to say they made up and became friends, they had kept buried a lot of tension between them, really deep. Now that long forgotten tension was boiling over, enjoying its release.

The women kept sparring, kicking biting, pulling hair, flying. There once proud dresses were torn to shreds, leaving them barely clothed, but neither cared. They were too distracted with each other. Nor did they notice Booster Gold walk in, who immediately left to come back with a bunch of other male leaguers and even a few women as well. Bets were being placed all around.

"This is the catfight of the century," said Elongated Man a little too excitedly.

"I got money on Diana!" yelped Hawk. "I have seen what she can do!"

"I don't know pardner! That Hawkgirl is a feisty mare as well! I will take that bet!" responded Vigilante.

"This is totally barbaric, yet I cannot look away…" said Shining Knight rather embarrassed by his own interest in the events in front of them. At that moment, Diana had knocked Shayera on top of her by wrapping her long legs just below Shayera's waist and tossing her over.

That earned a lot of catcalls and whistles from the men. At that moment though Superman just had arrived and his super hearing picked up all the jeers and cheers going on.

Usually he would not care what the League was getting all excited about. They often would watch sports events together. But based on what had happen at the auction, he had a pretty good idea what was going on.

Superman sprinted as fast as he could, which was pretty fast, to the training room to find that most of the entire league roster was in the room watching two women barely clothed anymore fighting. For a second he thought it was one of Wally's stupid party ideas, but when he realized one of the women had wings he immediately knew what was going on. This was getting out of hand, someone needed to take charge and he was not in the mood. He had to escort Lois back to her hotel because she was too drunk to even take a cab by herself. He then experienced a bunch of frustrations as his clearly intoxicated coworker had hit on him and attempted to seduce him. Of course she would only take interest in Clark Kent when she was out of her mind…

Another chorus of jeers and cheers snapped Superman back to reality. Hawkgirl had tossed Wonder Woman headfirst into the wall.

"Guys! Stop that! Right now that's enough!"

Of course Superman's voice was lost over the cluster of noise being exchanged in the training room. He saw Wonder Woman getting back up looking like she was about to snap her former friend's neck.

With superspeed he flew down there right in between both women, struggling at his best to stop them from fighting. This earned a bunch of boos from the viewers. Superman responded with a glare that would make Batman proud, with a special bonus of laser vision. That got the room to empty out in a manner of minutes.

"Conniving traitor bitch…"

"Stuck up spoiled brat…"

The two were struggling to get back to throttling each other but Superman's build was too strong to let either one thru, so they resorted to insulting one another.

"THAT'S ENOUGH BOTH OF YOU RIGHT NOW!"

Superman did not know he could even yell like that; sure he was Superman after all, but wow.

John had awoken to sound of someone yelling. He was not sure but he could have sworn it was Clark. But that was ridiculous, the only time the boy scout ever raised his voice if they were in the middle of fighting. That thought caused John to jolt out of bed ring ready.

Changing into his uniform he sprinted out of his room, not even apologizing for waking up Mari who was sharing the bed with him. He immediately saw himself facing an oncoming stampede of league members. He quickly spotted Booster Gold and used his ring to stop him from escaping.

"Ow, come on man what the hell?"

"What is going on? Are we attacked?" said John soldier like, ignoring the smart ass remark.

"No, I mean not yet. Superman just broke up a fight between Wondy and Hawkgirl, boy I gotta tell you it was ugly…"

"Shayera and Diana are fighting? Why?" asked John very concerned. Not about each other's safety they both could handle themselves against each other. He was worried what had set both women off like that. Immediately a picture of Bruce Wayne popped in his mind.

"If that jerk is behind all this I swear to God I am going to beat his stubborn ass," thought John angrily unaware he was squeezing Booster a little too tightly.

He then took off to the training room to see what was going on. He did not care if Bruce was an asshole, but damnit if he did something to hurt Diana, let alone Shayera, there was going to be hell to pay. They both were good women who did not deserve his crap.

Diana had always been easily provoked to fits of anger, especially when it came to men. Shayera on the other hand was pretty successful at making her go ballistic. As an Amazon she was disciplined to keep her emotions in check. She was never really good at that however and therefore was often incline to rely more on her emotions than think.

Shayera meanwhile was always a little hot head. Trained to be a tough warrior since birth, she lived off aggression. But Shayera was always good at channeling and controlling that aggression. Yet she in the end was always a little bit violent. She was never big on peace and love that Diana always tried to promote.

"_That hypocritical self-righteous bitch"_ she thought to herself as Clark made them cover up with towels left in the training room and had them sit next each other to talk it out. The two were trying to make sure they were sitting as far away as possible not even looking at each other.

"What happened?" Superman demanded.

Neither woman was willing to forgo their pride by speaking so they both stubbornly stared off into space.

"Usually I would try to make you guys talk this out, but this seems an issue you have to decide for yourself. I am letting you two determine when you will apologize to one another…"

Shayera snorted, like the proud princess would ever apologize.

"…but if this hampers your ability to work together, I will throw you both out of the League myself until one of you apologizes to one another,"

Diana smirked. She was immortal she could wait this one out. But still she would rather be helping the League instead of having to wait for Superman's approval again. Not that she needed it, but it was a pride issue. It was not going to be her fault if they both got out of the league.

"Fine Kal, now if you excuse me, I got to wash off now…" and with that the princess stormed off angrily.

Superman sighed, gave Shayera another serious look and exited the room promptly. That left Shayera all alone, again. She was always going to be alone, no one would understand her.

She was about to leave when John came rushing in.

"Shayera where's Diana and Clark? I heard you guys were fighting…O my God!" said John stunned by the mess that had been creating to the training room.

Shayera smirked, "The UN is not going to be happy about this. Pity Bruce does not fund us anymore; it would be worth it for him to have to pay everything."

John chuckled at Shayera's remark. It would be worth it to see that smug man have to pay for all this.

They both looked at each other and smiled before they both realized who they were talking to and quickly broke eye contact awkwardly.

"So…you want to talk about…"

"It's a girl fight, John. You would not understand that."

"Not that I mean what happened at the auction…"

"How did you know about that? Are you stalking me?" Shayera said suspiciously and angrily.

"No I saw it on the news when I was on monitor duty. I just go to ask what the hell?"

Shayera sighed and sat back down.

"I don't know. Zatanna was trying to make Bruce get jealous over Diana or something. She did not intend for his secretary to bid on us for him."

"Still that seems like a dumb decision for you to make. Why did you need to go? You know how Bruce is about Gotham…"

"I do not care for Gotham nor do I care what you think of my acts. I am responsible for my own choices! I do not need either yours or Bruce's approval! Now get out of my way!" she got up angrily and stormed away leaving a dumbstruck John.

"Damn woman!" he swore under his breath as he admired her walk away angrily.


	13. Confrontations

Batman sat at the monitor fuming madly as he pounded the keyboard so hard a few keys broke. But he did not care at the moment he was angry. Angry at the League ignoring his warning, angry at Patti for forcing him into this mess, angry at the press for making this public, but the person he was angry at the most was himself. When he had sped past the museum, one of the cops on duty went chasing after him leaving a hole in their security.

In that time span when the cop was harassing him, someone managed to break in again and get the Eye of Montezuma. That was why the cop's abuse was cut short; he had to be called back to the museum because the other cops realized it was missing. Whoever stole the eye, they did it fast and skilled. He, she or they must have been posted around the museum waiting for an opportunity which he gave them. And all because of a stupid auction.

This was all the League's fault. They came here butting their nose and look now he just lost an important advantage on a case. He did not know where they would strike next.

Batman took off his cowl and sighed, he knew he did not mean that it. He still would have been speeding like crazy to the auction even if the three women he won were not up for bid. It did feel good though to blame someone else for once.

He was about to go do a quick patrol before dawn when he noticed something that caught his eye. Apparently the Eye was only going to be on display for a few more days. A descendant of the German family who loaned it wanted it back after the first theft attempt. He felt it was not safe anymore to be put on display.

The man was Maxwell Stein, a reclusive millionaire who lived in a private island on the Caribbean. This island had security tighter than Fort Knox. This made Batman groan inwardly. That meant if he had not disrupted the security around the museum, the Eye would probably have safely been back to its rightful owner locked up. But because of his mistakes he pretty much gave the thieves the Eye. Some detective he was…

Another thing caught his eye though about Mr. Stein. Apparently he was an expert in the occult and religious artifacts. Probably a complete coincidence. But Batman never believed in coincidence. He was too paranoid to allow himself to do that. It was always better to expect the worse.

He decided Mr. Stein was going to be receiving a visit tonight in his hotel in Gotham.

Maxwell Stein poured himself a drink in his room. The GCPD had already alerted of him of his possession being stolen. His parents were foolish. Did they think a museum would be a safer place than anywhere else? That was like advertising for those who would want the eye to steal it. That is why he made sure that no one knew the location of the sword….he could not afford them to get that.

The museum had offered to pay the insurance for the Eye. Do they really think he cared about the insurance? He was loaded himself. It is always about money with some people. The best part though was how the police officer tried to explain how they let down security. Apparently one of the sentries went out to pull another man over for speeding. Did they not understand what they were guarding was more important than a simple traffic incident?

He gulped his drink down angrily and slammed the glass down. All the years of planning and protecting gone to waste now. It was 3 to 1 now; the world was more in danger now than ever. There can be no room for mistakes anymore.

Any normal man lost in his thoughts would not have noticed the creeping shadow appearing on the hotel balcony. But Mr. Stein was not an ordinary man, besides he was blind. He had learned how to use his other senses.

"Whoever you are there is no need to sneak up. I can hear and smell you."

Batman stiffened for a second. No one could ever detect him before, maybe he was really getting old. Or maybe there was more to this man than he anticipated. Regardless, he was beaten now, no use of trying stealth anymore.

"I have come to ask you some questions," Batman growled angrily still trying to assert an intimidating presence. Stein seemed unfazed.

"So you're the one who stopped the first theft. I thank you for that. Too bad you were not around when the idiot police let their guard down."

"I was busy at the moment."

"Aren't we all? Let me guess, you want to know what is so valuable about the eye? Well it's a family heirloom my father came across before we immigrated to America. We learned it was worth a fortune…"

"Do not try to convince me you only valued it for the money. From what I gather you have more than enough money to be concerned than the value of an old relic!" Batman interrupted.

"Some things that have the most value we cannot put a price on. There are more important things than money, surely you understand that my friend."

There was no answer so Stein decided to continue on.

"My older brother bless him, thought the eye would be the safest if we lent it to a museum to be put on display. We did not have money like I did at the time to provide security. I thought it was stupid, I told him it would be better if we kept somewhere hidden, not open to the public like that."

Batman moved a step closer; his face was inches from the blind man's. Stein was sure he could detect some whiffs of alcohol on the man's breath, being masked by large quantities of mouthwash.

"Why do you need to keep it safe?" he said slowly and threateningly.

"There are bigger forces at work here than you understand. Let me ask you something Batman, do you believe in God?"

The silence did not confirm or deny. Stein decided his response was not important for the warning he was about to give and decided to continue.

"Because we are going to need Him soon or the world is doomed," Stein whispered ominously and quietly.

Batman, deciding he was not going to get any more straight answers from the old man, made to leave. He would find out what was going on himself, not from this enigmatic superstitious, crazy man.

He turned without saying a word and took off into the darkness, hoping he could find better luck with another person, an expert in the occult, who coincidently he needed to have a little talk tonight about what had transpired at the auction.

Zatanna sighed and rubbed her crystal ball furiously as she sipped some tea in her room. She was really angry and upset. Months of planning all thrown out the window. Any chance of making Bruce happy was gone, maybe for good. And all because she had to interfere. Maybe Bruce would have opened up if given time; like 50 years.

She definitely knew she was going to have to face the wrath of Shayera and Diana soon. They were not too pleased about being bought by Bruce Wayne. All of a sudden that annoying commlink of hers started ringing. Probably Superman telling her to come up talk to him.

With much reluctance she turned it on.

"Hello?"

"Yo hey Z! How are you feeling?"

Zatanna almost banged her head on her desk. Not him too.

"What is it?" she refused to ever call him by his name.

"I am just checking up on you, making sure you are alright, I saw you on the news with Bruce…"

"That is none of your business, I am very good friends with Bruce!"

"Even after he resigned?" B'wanna Beast interjected with a rare moment of poignant insight.

"Yes…I mean? Wait, how did you know?" Zatanna said shocked and suspiciously.

"It was Batman who recruited me to join the League. I would not call us friends, but we go way back together. I helped him stop the Penguin once trying to turn a ravenous flock of…"

"That is all very interesting but I got stuff to do so if you excuse me…"

"Hey wait, wait. I just wanna make sure your okay, especially after what happened to Wondy and Hawklady"

Zatanna paused, now she was interested. "What do you mean?"

"They got into the mother of all fights in the training room. Superman had to break it all up. They barely had any clothes on by the time they were finished…"

"Okay I had enough good-bye and do not call me ever again!" Zatanna said hanging up. Typical man. Acts like he cares about her and then starts talking about how hot two other women look when they wrestle each other. Why were all men such pigs? Maybe Circe had the right idea after all.

"We need to talk…" said a deep baritone she knew too well behind her.

Zatanna closed her eyes, braced herself and turn to face her death.

"…by the time they were finished, which is a good thing Superman stepped in when he should, there were some really perverted guys there waiting for one of them to completely lose their clothes," B'wanna Beast otherwise known as Mike Maxwell said. He always liked flirting with the ladies, but he was no means a pervert.

"Hello? Zatanna? Z-baby? Hello?"

He heard the dial tone. She had hung up on him.

"Was it something I said?"

"O to be young again," said a monotone voice behind him. B'wanna Beast turned around to find him face to face with a pair of glowing orange eyes.

"Whoa Martian Man wassup?" Mike put his hand in the air for a high five. J'onn just looked at it and stared back slightly smiling.

"It is good to see you again B'wanna Beast."

"You too man. What brings you hear? I heard you settled down and got married."

J'onn smiled. "Yes I did we have been married for about two and a half years now. I felt it was time I come out of retirement and see if I can help out."

B'wanna Beast slapped the Martian on the back. "Well you are in luck dude. You picked the best time to come. There is so much stuff going on you would not believe…"

"I will take it from hear Mike," said Superman who suddenly appeared in the room. IT was not a suggestion. Mike took the hint and left.

"See ya dudes!"

Superman turned to look at his old friend.

"Hello J'onn, it's good to see you," said Superman beaming. Finally he had someone more mature to talk to.

J'onn smiled back, "It is good to see you as well Kal, my friend."

J'onn extended his hand to shake as it was an earth custom. Superman however ignored it and pulled the Martian in a bear hug, causing the Martian to groan in surprise for a second.

"I am sorry about that J'onn I am just happy you are here."

"I can say the same as well. How are the others?

"Well good I mean um…."

"Not as well I take it?"

"Did you read my mind?"

"I would never read the mind of a friend; only with your permission would I ever look at it. Besides it was all over your face."

"Hmm I guess I don't have Bruce's poker face."

"Speaking of which how are they? Did he and Diana finally sort it out?"

"Well no but…wait? You knew as well?"

J'onn chuckled, which unnerved Superman a little. He rarely saw the Martian smile or chuckle like that.

"Kal, everybody in the League knew it except you for a while. When did you finally find out?"

"I always had a feeling I just did not know that everybody else did."

"Well that does not matter what happened?"

Superman sighed, put his arm around his friend and led him to the founder's room.

"It's a long story…"

For a while the Dark Knight and Mistress of Magic stared at each other neither one willing to blink or say the first word. Finally Batman broke the silence. Zatanna marked a check in the win column silently in her head.

"What do you know about the eye of Montezuma?" He said briskly, completely ignoring the elephant in the room. She also did have a real elephant in the room for her show; he was avoiding that as well.

"What?" said Zatanna a little taken aback. She expected a verbal lashing of inviting metas to his city and interfering with his personal life. But a random question about something she never heard of? That caught her off guard. But then again, Batman was always business first.

"I said the Eye of Montezuma. It was stolen from the Gotham museum earlier this night."

"I thought you stopped Catwoman from stealing it a week ago. That was the word on the street last time I checked."

"Someone broke in again. Whoever they are they were very quick and prepared."

"How did they get in? The police upgraded security around the museum."

"That is not important for the time being. The issue at hand is what you know about it?"

"I do not know. I never really heard of it. I usually am more familiar with European and Asian artifacts. Not Central American. Perhaps Dr. Fate?"

"I prefer to keep the circle small, especially when it comes to dealing with affairs on my turf."

Zatanna smirked. In other words he was still too proud to ask for help from the League. It did really flatter her in a weird twisted way that Bruce still trusted her, sort of at least.

"I will see what I can find for you. I must ask though, I thought you were more of a science guy, not mysticism."

"I do not believe in anything. I only look for clues and try to link it together. Whatever has been going on here, there has been a large conspiracy around it."

"You are thinking of a cult or something?"

"I do not know. Maxwell Stein, the owner of the Eye was very paranoid. Made it sound like he felt someone's after something. He also mentioned about greater forces being at work."

"And you believed him?"

"I do not believe anything; I have already told you that."

"Sure you don't. You're too stubborn Bruce. Even if God stood in front of your face you would deny his existence."

"I never said I do not believe God exists. I do not believe _in_ him."

Zatanna was marking another check in the win column in her head. She was getting him to at least sort of open up to her by talking about his beliefs.

"You just got to have faith Bruce in others as well."

For a while there was an ominous silence as the two friends sadly stared at each other. Finally Batman made a move to turn around and leave.

"Wait Bruce! Don't you want to discuss it?"

"There is nothing to discuss Zana. Goodbye…"

But before he could react, a bunch of chains had wrapped themselves around him causing him to fall to the ground violently. He struggled but they were too tight. He looked up and glared evilly at Zatanna who had drawn her wand and was pointing it at him. With a fire in her eyes he never saw before.

"Oh no. I am not letting you get away this easy this time! We are going to talk!"

"LET…ME…GO….OR…" Batman said slowly and threateningly. But Zatanna stood her ground and did not let him finish his threat.

"Or what? I do not know about you Bruce, but I am pretty comfortable at where I stand right now. I am not the one wrapped in chains at the moment."

Batman remained silent but glaring still. Zatanna smiled. Good, he was giving her this round. With a flick of the wand the chains disappear. Batman quickly sprang to his feet, not taking his eyes off her.

"We need to talk," she said very softly.

"About what? About how you go behind my back and use my secretary to make me have to confront problems I already got rid of?"

"I-how did you…"

"I checked Patti's phone records tonight after the auction, you two had been talking for a month. I put two and two together. So what was your plan? Hoping that Diana and I would go on a date together all happy and act like nothing's wrong? You do realize you have hurt her as much as you hurt me right now?"

"I know that Bruce, and I am sorry I did not intend for this to happen like this-"

"Then what did you intend to happen? I trusted you Zatanna because I thought you would be the only one who would not try to interfere with my personal life. You accepted me for who I was…"

"In case you have not noticed Bruce, you have changed! You are not the man I once knew. Sure you were always a stubborn ass to people. But at least you respected them enough to not cause them a lot of pain, like you are doing right now! You do realize by doing this you are probably causing more damage than I did tonight…"

"It is all for the best! Did you see what happened to Tim? Have you forgotten what horrors he has been thru? I will not let that happen to anyone. Not you, not Dick, Barbara, the League, Clark, and Diana. I will not let them fall with me."

Zatanna's eyes were welling with tears. She was still mad at him but she pitied him at the same time. She was overwhelmed with emotions, which were already complicated by the latent desires she still had for the Dark Knight.

"Bruce, you do not have to be alone. We can help…" she reached and gently placed a hand on his cheek. She took off the cowl. So she could see his whole pain. She stared deeply into the blue eyes that were filled with sorrow staring coldly back at her.

Zatanna stood on her feet as he bowed his head down. Their lips made contact. It was all she ever desired ever since she was a teenager. She felt his gloved hand go around her back rubbing it. She moaned as she moved her hand to grab his hair. She was in pure lust and desire right now. This was what she always wanted.

But then an image of the hurt look on Diana's face popped back in her mind and the look of concern she saw Bruce had on his face when he took care of the Amazon when she was in trouble. The witch knew right there this should never happen and it was not possible. She did not belong to him, even if it broke her heart.

She pulled away.

"I am sorry Bruce. As much as I want to believe, there is nothing more than friendship between us."

Bruce, still a little stunned by the moment of passion they shared open his mouth to speak.

"It was just lust and passion for two frustrated people to find an outlet, nothing more," she said, trying to stop the tears form coming back. Now she knew a little how Bruce felt. It hurt to push the people you love away for their own good.

"Just leave," she said turning her head in shame, determined to not look at him.

She was expecting he would do his disappearing act on her, but instead she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I am sorry too that I cannot give what you want. How about I make it up to you. I believe I owe you a dinner date Ms. Zatara."

Zatanna whipped her head back to him in shock. Did the Batman just make a joke? Was he actually smiling at her?

Inside her head she was no longer marking checks, she was throwing a parade. Maybe things were turning out for the best after all.

"You do realize you will have to probably date us separately," she said smirking at his discomfort at the remark. She decided she was not going to give him a chance of protest.

"No butts, if you have not heard, Shayera and Diana are not on good terms again, and I am pretty sure neither of them is pleased with me as well. Face it; you are not going get out of this is in one night. And do not try to back out; the press is already excited about it. They will start asking questions if you do not accept.

Scowling at her, he put his cowl back on.

"What did you have in mind for yours?"

"Somewhere nice and expensive. You can use mine as the one to show off to the public so you can keep the next two low key."

Batman just glared at her and made to leave the window. She took that as a yes.

"O and Bruce?"

Batman stopped as he was opening the window to turn around to her.

"Don't think you can try to make this as miserable as it is to you for the three of us, or you will be facing the wrath of an Amazon, a witch, and a Thanagarian soldier.

Batman glared and took off into the night, leaving a very pleased Zatanna to herself.


	14. Comfort, Care, and Crisis

Flash zoomed around the Watchtower, his intended destination the cafeteria. Most of the staff there would be off work, but there was still a large supply of iced mochas in the fridge for himself. He was having a craving for them after he had just gotten back from Central City stopping a mad bomber.

Upon entering to the cafeteria, he realized someone beat him too it. Diana sat there with an entire fortress of discarded iced mocha cups surrounding her. She seemed oblivious to it and kept on drinking another one while staring off blankly in space. If Flash did not know any better, he would say she looked like she was in pain. Deciding it was up to him to get the bottom of this, he slowly approached her with caution.

"Are you alright Di?" he asked sympathetically.

Finally noticing him Diana looked a little shock by his intrusion. She tried to put on the most serious face as she could. The princess did not want anyone to see her as a wreck like this.

"Everything is fine Flash. Thank you," she said coldly but a little too fast as she turned her head away so she could not make eye contact.

"Yea, I am not buying it. Come one tell me what's wrong," Wally asked gently.

Diana did not know what made her decide to open herself up to Flash, but she needed too. With a heavy sigh she began to relay all the events that had come to pass about the auction, Bruce, and her and Shayera's fight.

"…and normally I use the training room to comfort myself, but since she and I have rendered it useless at the moment, I came here to find another way to ease the pain. I am sorry I have seemed to consume all of them. I know they are your favorite."

Flash smiled and took off his mask to reveal a beaming red-headed Wally West.

"Di, I could never be mad at you. I just want to let you know that I am here for you as a friend."

"What about _Hawkgirl_?" she asked. She would never call Shayera by her name again.

Wally's smile turned to a frown and sighed, "She is my friend too, like a sister to me, and so are you. I am not offering to be here to try to get you two back together. That is up for you to decide. I am just offering to be here for you as a friend."

This shocked Diana. Was Wally West actually being the most mature person in the League right now? She pinched herself to make sure she was not in Morpheus's realm. She then smiled back.

"What is it?" asked Wally a little apprehensive now.

Diana pecked him on the cheek which caused Wally to blush and smile dopily.

"You are so sweet Wally. I am not use to you being the most grown up around here."

"It happens," said Wally casually, he was still blushing.

"Wally, do you have someone special in your life?"

"Wha-? No. I mean Beatriz and I had a little fling but we are just friends as of now. But there is this girl. She actually knows me as Wally first so that's kinda good I guess…"

"Have you asked her out yet?" Diana asked, interrupting Wally's sudden babbling.

"Well. I mean I really do love her. But she is out of my league. She is a reporter in Central City and there is no way she would go with a guy like me…"

Diana stood up. "You sound like Clark with Lois. Take my advice Wally, you should at least try."

And with that Diana left leaving a confused Wally lost in his thoughts.

She felt guilty a little though telling Wally to try. When she tried to show her emotions to someone special to her, she got her heart broken. If that was not enough, it was slowly being tweaked and cracked by the same man over and over. Maybe that is why Amazons were supposed to be separate from men.

She decided it was time she should pay her mother a visit. Even though her mother would probably get mad at her for getting so worked up about a man, at least she could be with her family.

With a sudden purpose in her stride she made it to the javelin bay toward her invisible jet. Luckily she had already restocked it with fuel; it was going to be a long trip to Thermyscara.

Unnoticed by her, a camera had been following her exit to the bay. Moving as if someone was controlling it.

Batman watched at his monitor as the Amazon made her way to her plane. He sighed sadly. When he installed both Watchtowers and the Metro Tower, he secretly made all the cameras be able to be control by him in the cave. Normally they would be on autopilot moving at random, unless Mr. Terrific or J'onn needed to watch something specific. So his secret remained unnoticed when once in a while he would move the cameras around to keep an eye on a certain Amazon.

When the first Watchtower was built, he would always keep an eye on Diana. He first told that himself because he was suspicious of her. It seemed strange that a woman from a race that hated men would be willing to help mankind.

After the incident in Gorilla City and Felix Faust, he justified the need to spy on her to keep an eye on her out of concern. She was still innocent to this world and she needed someone to look over her.

As the years went by and the Watchtower was rebuilt, he would still keep his vigil just to make sure she was safe, especially after he almost lost her with Circe. It soon evolved into helping calm him down when he was stressed or stumped on a case. Seeing her, reminded him there was still hope in this world.

But those stopped when he resigned from the League. He wanted no ties anymore so he made sure he would never use them again. Sometimes he got really tempted to but he ignored it. Within months he had almost forgotten about them.

Now that it was already morning in Gotham but he was still sulking and awake deep in his cave. He needed to see her again. Earlier last night he was too shocked and angry to really appreciate seeing her beautiful face again, so alive with emotion.

But as he found himself more agitated and stressed he needed to see the goddess, at least one more time.

Although he could not see her jet, he knew it had left when the bay doors opened and shut. She was probably going to visit her mother; otherwise she would just teleport away.

With a grim sadness he turned off the feed. He was about to go to bed when his phone rang. For a second he was angry and wondering who would be calling at this time so early on a Saturday but then he remembered he kept unusual hours.

"What," he asked angrily in the voice of a tired Bruce Wayne. He was actually really tired right now.

"O I am sorry if I disturbed you Bruce. I am just calling to see why you are all of a sudden letting metas in Gotham," said a defiant brash voice.

Batman found his real voice and hissed venomously, "This is none of your business, Dick. Gotham is my city. Worry about your own."

"You know I called actually because I saw you with some league members on the news I thought maybe that Batman was finally not going to be so uptight anymore and actually be a decent human being to others. But now I see nothing is changed," Nightwing retorted angrily.

"Is that all?" Batman asked, daring his former protégé to respond.

"No, actually. Unlike you I have been more successful at keeping tabs on Tim. I just talked to Leslie and she told me how you have been shirking your responsibilities as…"

"Tim is my responsibility, not yours!"

"He is mine because you will not actually do your job! You know you may be both our fathers in a legal sense, but you are by no means my or Tim's father! You are just a brooding jerk who feels the need to make everyone else as miserable as him!" Nightwing shouted back furiously.

Nightwing's rejection of Batman as his and Tim's father left the brooding man stunned for a second. Before Batman could yell back, Nightwing had already hung up furiously, leaving a very frustrated Batman.

Instead of making his way upstairs to bed, Batman made his way to a punching bag, determine to make sure it was completely destroyed by the end of the day…

Diana felt much more relax as she piloted her prized plane to her island home. It allowed her to take off her mind on many distractions. She was in her own little world; no supervillains, no global disasters, no fights, no Justice League, no Batman, just her.

She was in a relaxed mood for a while that she was taken aback when she caught sight of her mother already waiting for her by the landing site with a very stern look on her face. Although she was technically still banished, she was allowed to visit Thermyscara since she was ambassador now.

"Mother?" she asked unsure as she exited her jet to the sight of her stern mother.

"Follow me Diana, there is not much time," the Queen said in all manners of professionalism and turned around and took off, not letting her daughter have a chance to respond.

Diana caught up to her mother a little worried on what was occurring. She understood her mother had to keep up an unbiased image, but she still would show at least some affection to her daughter.

"Mother what is? Is something wrong?"

"No. Well right now no. The oracle knew you would be coming here. She has said the gods demand to speak with you."

"Why not send Hermes?" asked Diana confused by this sudden seriousness.

Hippolayta did not answer her daughter. Pretty soon they were at the temple of Apollo. Hippolayta bowed her head and said a prayer to the gods before leaving Diana behind. Diana stood confused about the sudden turn of events until she found herself being surrounded by a mist. The mist cleared and she found herself surrounded by three deities. Apollo, Hera, and Aphrodite.

Immediately Dian kneeled. Apollo chuckled and told her to rise.

"What do you demand of me?" Diana asked.

"We have come to warn you Diana," Hera said with the utmost seriousness.

"Warn me?" Diana asked apprehensively.

Apollo spoke up, "Something is happening. Something has changed time itself. Something that not even my power of foresight can comprehend clearly. What was supposed to happen later is happening now. All I know is death is coming. The omens are bad."

"How can I stop this doom? What should we do?"

Hera looked at Diana grimly.

"This is something you must find out on your own."

Diana was taken aback. Were her gods and goddesses really turning her backs on her?

"Why?"

"We cannot interfere. What will occur in the next few months could potentially bring the destruction of mankind and the entire cosmos," said Apollo with a sad look of pity on his face.

"What is it?" she asked.

Aphrodite who had been silent answered.

"Alas even with our divine power, we do not understand these bad omens. It must be found out by this," she said beckoning to Diana's heart.

"You are leaving me to determine the fate of the world?" Diana asked a little taken aback by this charge.

"Not necessarily the fate. We have decided to give a warning to mankind like we have before. You are doing just what you would normally do. As our champion you will try to find out and stop this doom before it happens."

Diana stood grimly. A few hours ago she was angry with her own personal problems. Now she was given the burden of the fate of everything on her shoulders.

"I-accept."

The deities all look at her proudly and smiled. Apollo approached her and handed her a glass crystal.

"To help you look on those you care," he said cryptically.

Hera then proudly approached her and handed her a staff.

"To help you lead those you care into battle," she said proudly.

Lastly Aphrodite approached her. For the second time she touched her heart.

"To help you save those you care," she said sweetly as a light glowed from Diana's heart.

Before Diana could ask the meaning of these gifts, the mist had returned and before she could say anything she found herself all alone again.

Hippolayta had entered back in.

"Well daughter? What did they want?"

Diana looked puzzled with the two possessions she had in her arms and tried to discern the meanings the three deities had given her.

"I do not know mother. But the world itself is in danger."

"What did they say?" Hippolayta asked concern.

"They said that there are bad omens. Something has changed. They as usual are not allowed to interfere. They have charged me with investigating it. They gave me these as well"

The Queen examined the devices. They seemed very innocuous and useless. The glass crystal looked old and stained and the staff seemed to be brittle and useless.

"Is that all?"

"Aphrodite touched my heart and said it would help me save all those I cared about."

For a while the two Amazons just gazed out into the beautiful sea, confused by the riddles and challenges from their gods.

Finally the Queen broke the silence, dropping the serious professional tone into a more caring one.

"Daughter," she said reaching out and touching Diana's hand.

"Let us have dinner together today and you can tell me how everything is," she said warm and inviting, in sharp contrast to the cold queen she projected earlier.

"But what about the omens?" asked Diana, a little taken aback by her mother's sudden mood shift.

"They can wait. This is not the first time the gods have given bad omens and you set out to investigate them. You know these things take time. Come, my little sun and stars, we will have a nice mother to daughter chat."

And with that the two Amazons made their way to the palace, forgetting one another's troubles for the moment.

John and B'wanna Beast sat at the "bar" in the cafeteria. Technically there was no bar because Superman and Batman, two of the most important founders, never drank, believing it would hinder performance. That did not stop league members though for finding a source of alcohol. People would usually stock the public fridge with bottles of alcohol in exchange for being allowed to take any liquor or beer they wanted at anytime.

The two heroes at the moment were sipping their drinks slowly and grimly.

"Women," John muttered angrily.

"Don't understand them at all," B'wanna Beast continued bitterly. He had his costume off and was in his alter ego, Mike Maxwell identity.

The two men put their bottles together in a moment of bonding over the most difficult animal of all, the human female. John was puzzled about Shayera. What game was she playing at by dating Bruce? She did not seem too happy about it, but why go to a date auction in Gotham then?

Mike meanwhile was stuck on a certain witch. He could never seem to get a conversation with her. Every attempt he made was rebuffed by her angrily. At least she would show some emotion toward him which is why he was attracted to her. If she had rejected him coldly, he would not mind at all and move on. But because she would have so much seething hatred toward him, it gave him hope. He just could not figure out how to turn her hate into love.

Both men were in the corner of the cafeteria wallowing in self-pity and misery that seemed in sharp contrast to a boisterous and jovial Green Arrow who had just entered and spotted them.

"What's up guys?" said Oliver Queen, completely oblivious to the two men's grim looks on their faces. He made to get himself a bottle out of the fridge.

Both men ignored him. Oliver did not seem to mind and squeezed himself in forcefully between the two guys.

"I have some good news," said Oliver beaming with excitement.

"Don't care," muttered John half drunk under his breath. Max however was a little more polite.

"What is it," said Mike half cranky, trying not to sound annoyed.

Oliver beckoned the two men to come closer so he can whisper to them.

"I am gonna propose to Dinah tomorrow night," he said softly but excitedly.

"Wha-?" said John a little taken aback. He had always expected he would settle down before Oliver. The idea of Oliver and Dinah tying the knot was not helping his already bad mood.

Mike meanwhile was a little upset as well. If a wild billionaire like Oliver can settle down with a free spirit like Dinah, how come he could not seem to work it out with Zatanna?

"Man how did you ever win a free bird like her?" Mike asked trying to hide the resentment in his voice.

"Easy. I nearly got killed for her," joked Oliver. "Now excuse me, I should start sobering up by now. I have been drinking all morning to get the nerves ready."

And as quickly as he appeared, the Emerald Archer disappeared.

"You buy that GL? You win a woman's heart by trying to die for her?"

John was not listening however. He remembered that special night of passion he shared with Shayera after she almost had lost him in the explosion. He remembered the look of love they had in each other's eyes when he took off her mask and saw those bright green eyes for the first time. Was there still hope after all? Only time will tell.

"I got to go," said the Green Lantern. One thing was for certain, he needed to talk to Mari. There was no use to stringing her along anymore.

"See ya bub," said Mike not really caring that he was drinking alone right now.

"So tell me daughter, how has man's world been since you last visit," said the Queen looking across the table at her daughter as they ate the bountiful feast prepared for them.

"It's been good. The world is getting safer by the day. After the fall of Darkseid, the past year has been pretty safe."

"Well that is well. But how are you personally?"

"I am…am fine mother, why do you ask?" Diana said trying to hide her guilt.

The queen's face turned to seriousness again. It always intimidated Diana as a child; it still did as an adult.

"Daughter, you are supposed to be a promoter of truth, do not soil your own good name lying to me. Tell me what is wrong? You came here for some reason, what is it?"

"I-I just needed to talk to someone who was family. I am not having the best moments in my personal life right now."

"What do you mean? Are you and your friends fighting?"

"No, I mean with some of them I am. But that's not the real problem. I am having issues with a certain man-"

But before the Princess could finish, she saw her mother spitting out the wine she had just sipped, forsaking any image of regality at the moment.

"A man? My daughter is having troubles with a man?" the Queen asked standing up angrily.

"It's my own mess mother, I will clean it up. Please relax…"

"Have you not learned anything about men?"

"Mother, men have changed. They are not wicked as they once were. Some of them even saved Thermyscara lest you forgot!"

"Yes. They have changed. But still I am not too proud with you actually forming a relationship with a man! Look what it has done to you already! You are miserable!"

"That may be true mother but I do not regret it. Being in man's world has brought so much passion and feelings that I never thought I could experience. I live by my emotions. If you cannot accept that, then I will leave."

Diana stood up threatening to leave. Unexpectedly, her mother finally sighed and sat back down.

"I am sorry Diana. I guess I cannot make my own mistakes and experiences define your life. Please sit back down and you can tell me. Mother to daughter, not Amazon to Amazon or Princess to Queen."

Diana relaxed and opened herself up to mother about everything. How she had fallen in love with Batman and how the two had formed a strong bond of friendship. How both of them had done what they can to save each other. About how Batman had rejected her last year and left himself to grieve alone. And lastly how the recent date auction seemed to have open old wounds.

"It seems to me this Batman, hero of Thermyscara he may be, is nothing but a dark, brooding jerk. Do you love him daughter?"

"I do not know. I want to and have offered my heart to him so many times but he has rejected it. Every time I think I am over with him, he does something that just opens the old wounds again. It is like we are meant to be, but the fates do not want it to happen."

Hippolayta stood up walked around the table and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Daughter. Whatever is going on in this relationship with this man, do what will make you happy. If giving up on him does, do it. If trying to win his heart will make you happier, then do that then. I will support you either way."

Diana smiled and stood up and embraced her mother. It felt so good that her mother for once instead of telling her what to do was telling her to make her own decision.

"Thank you mother. I am afraid I must go right now though. I have to investigate these impending omens the gods speak of."

"Take care, daughter. Come by and visit more often. And if this Batman gives you any more trouble, do not tell me because I may have to visit him myself."

Diana smiled at her mother's threat and followed her escort to her jet, feeling a little better now.

Shayera was pacing in her room. Since the training room was broken she had no way to let out her usual frustrations. Therefore she had been pacing back and forth while brooding on other events. She had already left an ugly track in the carpet in her room when she heard a gentle knock on the door. Relieved to have something to momentarily distract her she opened it to find Wally smiling at her with a person she did not expect to see.

"J'onn!" Shayera cried, overjoyed to see her old friend.

"Hello Shayera! I sensed you were having some trouble, Flash and I decided to pay you a visit," the Martian said with a smile on his face.

Immediately Shayera backed away.

"Let me guess, you are here to tell me I need to fix things with John, or me and Diana need to apologize to each other," she said angrily, not really masking the feeling of betrayal in her voice.

"No Shy, we are here as our friends. It is up for you to deal with your own personal life, not our business. We are just here to take your mind off of things. Figured you could use a break."

"What did you have in mind?" she asked suspiciously.

Wally responded by holding up a strategy board game.

Within a few hours the three friends, along with Vigilante who had joined the game where in a heated war over the continent of Europe.

"Don't you understand J'onn? You cannot let him take Britain! That is the key right there! Come on use your mind reading! They are playing us!"

"I am not going to cheat Flash! I am ending my turn!"

"Yeehaw! It's my turn now give me my reinforcements!" cried the cowboy hero excitedly.

With reluctance, Flash handed him a lot of pieces which Vigilante placed them all in Western Europe, ready to attack Flash's meager defense of Great Britain while ignoring J'onn's fortifications south to him in North Africa.

"Damn it!" cried Flash angrily. Within the first roll, his entire forces had been wiped out. That left Iceland up for grabs and Vigilante would have Europe.

Shayera meanwhile smiled to herself. The three fools in front of her were too busy bickering over the big continents they completely ignored her as she built up forces in Australia and South America. Pretty soon she would get Alaska which would connect her forces of Australia and Asia with her forces in the Americas.

Within a few more turns, Shayera not only had Alaska, but both Americas, and half of Asia, making her receiving an endless supply of reinforcements while the rest of the players were crammed in Africa and Europe.

"You boys got too greedy," she smiled wickedly. "You took your eyes off the easy prize."

Within a few more turns, Vigilante and Flash were wiped off the map. The two stuck around to watch J'onn put up a hopeless fight in the Middle East against Shayera'a advancing army.

"I am impressed J'onn. For not reading minds you have been pretty good at putting up a fight," she smiled wickedly as she rolled the dice, giving her triple sixes against J'onn's measly two and one, ending the game.

Vigilante and Flash got up grumbling leaving Shayera and J'onn to pick up the pieces.

"I must say Shayera, you seem a lot more at ease now," said J'onn calmly as he folded the board up.

"I thought you said you did not read my mind!" she teased. "Please tell me you did not let me win!"

"I did not. I just could feel your emotions like I did before. They seem less trouble and angry now."

"Well it is because I have good friends," and on impulse she hugged one of her best friends, causing the Martian to be a little shock but he returned the embrace.

"Thanks J'onn. You and Wally are being really good friends to me," and with that she made her way out leaving J'onn in the room by himself.

"What is it with everyone wanting to hug me lately?" J'onn chuckled to himself as he made his exit out as well.


	15. The Intelligence of Women

"We need to talk," John said to Mari as she was filing her nails. She had a photo shoot coming up next week and was determine to look her best.

"About?" said Mari coolly. She knew where this conversation was going, but that did not mean she was going to make it easy on John.

"About us. Me and you," said John sweating a little. For a tough guy he sure had trouble with women sometimes.

"What? Are you going to propose to me?" Mari asked indifferently.

"I-what?" John asked confused and shocked by her bombshell.

"Ollie's going to propose to Dinah tonight. I figured maybe that is what you wanted to talk about?"

"How did you know?"

"Oh please. Dinah's a woman, not an idiot. She could tell. Ollie has been nervous lately, just like you are right now. Now that either means they are going to break up or he is going to pop the question. He is taking her to the restaurant they had their first dinner date, so that means he is most likely going to propose to her. So I am waiting for you to offer me to take us to that restaurant we had ours. Well?" she said eyeing him with piercing hawk like eyes.

She really was a little vixen. She knew perfectly well that they were going nowhere. Especially since that big fight between Shayera and Diana, he had been completely acting aloof for the past 24 hours. When she first dated him she thought they would be together forever, but she saw how he looked at Shayera. It was only a matter of time. Still, just because she accepted the inevitable, did not mean she was enjoying torturing him a bit.

"I-uh, look Mari. You and I, we have shared some special times together. Some of the happier years of my life. I do love you. But I cannot give the love you want from me. I think we need to breakup," he said as slow and gentle as he could.

Immediately, the sound of her filing stop and the room was filled with an icy silence. John could have sworn he heard a pin drop. He took a deep breath, expecting the storm that was approaching. Vixen stood up and John closed his eyes waiting for the slap and yelling. Instead he felt a gentle pat on his shoulder.

His eyes popped open to see Vixen gently patting on his shoulder smiling, actually smiling, at him. She then sighed sadly.

"I have known this for a while too John. When you said you would defy fate and be with me, I had hope that we would last. But I knew deep down it would not. You still love her, whether you admit it or not. For that I respect you for realizing that although we had good times together, we are not meant to be."

"Wow, you are making this easier than I thought," said John fully relieved that he did not have to suffer the wrath of a woman scorn.

"Just do me a favor," she whispered, bringing their heads together for one last kiss. "Do love her properly. You may be too proud to admit it, but please go back to her. You two belong together."

And with that the heroine exited the room still keeping the poise and balance of her supermodel training.

John buried his hands his face and sat back on his bed. Mari was right; his heart belonged to Shayera's. He was just too scared to take the risk again with her and was still too proud to follow fate. He was never a believer in destiny, everything was about choices.

It was now Monday, that meant the start of the work week, even for Bruce Wayne. He decided to take the front door this week and have a valet park his car instead of park it on his own and sneak in from the back. It was time to face the music.

Sure enough, the paparazzi were out there waiting for them. He moaned to himself; he may have been expecting this, but that still do not mean he was not ready. Summoning all his discipline, he put on the fake lazy playboy grin and walked out of his car, causally tossing the keys to a young valet.

Immediately he was greeted by a barrage of flashes and question s. He could not even make out some of the questions being asked. Instead he just waved idiotically at the press and slowly worked his way up the stairs to the front entrance and turn to face the vultures.

"Mr. Wayne! Mr. Wayne! How did you get to know the Justice League so well?" asked a short reporter with an ugly coat.

Bruce smirked, "Well if you did your homework I was lucky enough to share a dance with the Amazon Princess a few years ago in Paris, which I will tell you was unforgettable. I also met the seductive sorceress in my rambunctious years in Europe when she toured with her father."

"But what about Hawkgirl? Are you not aware she was responsible for the Invasion that your manor was partly destroyed in?" butted Vikki Vale, who was a little jealous that Bruce seemed to show interest in another red head.

"Hey, hey, hey now. I am all about forgive and forget. As I can show you, nobody's perfect," he responded smiling wickedly which earn a few chuckles from the crowd.

"But how are you going to date them? Are you going to take them to Wayne Tower?"

"I have decided to date each woman separately so they will not have to share me. I will be treating Ms. Zatara first to a wonderful night at my new restaurant downtown in Gotham which I expect to be a wonderful evening this Friday," he said crisply before turning around and entering the office. Ignoring the cries and complaints of the reporters who demanded more information.

He made his way to the elevator and greeted the elevator man who hit the switch to the top floor, just below the penthouse.

"I must say Mr. Wayne, you have to be the luckiest man in the world by now!" said the elevator man excitedly to his boss.

Bruce looked at him and grin, showing a lot of teeth, "O I am aware of that," he said using all the power he could muster to lie. Idiots. Do they honestly think after everything that happen to him his biggest concern was winning over three beautiful women, two who he was sure hated him? He was anything but lucky.

He entered his office to find Patti having her head bent down, determined not to make eye contact with him. She could not look anymore guilty.

"Good morning Patti," he said. He was going to enjoy torturing her a little.

"Good morning Mr. Wayne," she said, determined not to look up from the computer.

"Remind, me how much I bid at that auction?"

Patti gulped. She knew Bruce could really be nice and sweet, but she also knew he could be sadistic and mean sometimes, like right now.

"Two-two million sir," she said quietly.

"Two million? Wow, this is going to be my most expensive date ever, and we have not even got out to dinner yet. I am so lucky to have you to keep me on my toes."

And with a grin he walked to his office, making his poor secretary squirm even more. She would rather have him yell at her, even fire her. But to let her stay and wallow in her guilt without punishment, that was ten times crueler.

Zatanna smirked as she saw Bruce play the idiot on the local gossip news report. She had just finished an early show. Usually on Mondays she would work early but leave the nights free for herself, unless she was needed on League business. She made her way out, hoping to get some food to eat before heading home to rest.

She was walking along an alley in Gotham, taking a shortcut. Normally she would teleport herself. A very useful power of hers. She only used the Justice League teleporter to enter or exit the Metro Tower and Watchtower since she, Dr. Fate, and Etrigan had put up some magical defenses to prevent such breaches. For personal use though, she would just teleport herself.

Today she felt like walking though. She was tired and not in the mood to use any more magic unless she needed to. She was starting to regret her decision when she took a turn as a shortcut and found herself passing a young bunch of hoodlums. One of them started catcalling after her. She was not in the mood, she clutched her wand ready to move if anyone of them tried anything funny.

One of them called her a bitch and she heard them all start to move quickly afterwards. She closed her eyes and sighed, ready to cast a defensive spell. Definitely she was not in the mood though to deal with this.

As if answering her prayers, another voice appeared.

"Yo man, the lady is not interested in ya. Leave her alone," Zatanna twirled around.

She saw her "rescuer" was a blond man of nice built. He kind of had a cute look on his face but he was not smiling, his face was of seriousness and determination, staring at the punks in front of them.

One of the punks snickered and showed a switchblade to the blond man. The man seemed unfazed and stared back challenging him. The punk, frustrated the man was not intimidated by him made a thrust. Zatanna had her wand ready to go, but before she could say a spell, the blond man with reflexes quick like a cat had grabbed his attackers arm and twisted it.

The man screamed in pain and dropped the knife. One of his buddies came to his aid but was responded to a kick to his chest by the blond man. The other two immediately took off. The blond then pushed the attacker to the ground.

"Next time, you should learn how to treat a lady with respect dude," he threatened. The man got the message and when they recovered to their feet, took off.

The blond approached Zatanna with a sheepish look on his face.

"Are you alright babe?" he asked showing concern in his voice.

Zatanna smiled, she knew that voice too well. So he was stalking her now? Normally she would be creeped out by it, but she found it sweet that he had come to her rescue when she did not need it. He was trying to impress her. He did deserve a reward at least. Besides, two can play this game.

"I am find thank you Mr…?"

"Maxwell, Mike Maxwell. You can call me Mike if you want."

"Well Mike, I appreciate the act of chivalry."

"My mom always raised me to be respectful to a woman. Especially a beautiful one like you."

"O really," Zatanna said, pretending to be really flattered by the remark. Did he honestly think a stupid line like that would have her head over heels for him?

"Yea. Aren't ya Zatanna Zatara? The magical woman who works with the Justice League?"

"Why yes I am. It is always nice to meet a fan. But if you knew that you should have known I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself," she said. It would be funny to see him try to respond to that.

Surprisingly, he already had a response. "Just because you are a superheroine does not mean you do not deserve some break. I thought it would be nice to let you know a lot of us people got your back. Besides, my ma would kill me from the grave if she knew I just stand aside and did nothing when a nice lady like you was being harassed by some punks like those dudes."

"_I guess he is not as thick as I thought. I guess I should at least reward him for the thought,"_ Zatanna thought to herself.

"Can I buy you a drink Mike? You know as a reward for being my hero tonight."

Mike beamed at the remark. Zatanna chuckled mentally. He was not as smooth and subtle as he thought he was.

"I-I love too, Ms. Zatara…"

"O please, you can call me Zana," she said a little flirtatiously before leading him away to a nearby bar.

For the rest of the night the two talked over drinks. She was actually impressed by Mike. When she first met him, she always thought of him as a perv or weirdo, especially how he wore that stupid loincloth around. It was weird she was seeing him as a very normal and nice guy.

"_Maybe first impressions do not always matter,"_ she thought to herself as another round of drinks was brought to them.

"So why you going out with the Bruce Wayne guy? Isn't he a perv?" Mike asked, trying to sound casual.

Zatanna just smiled wickedly back at him. She loved how he was getting jealous about this. It was sweet and cute in a way.

"Bruce and I are old friends. Nothing more than that. He is actually a nice guy when you get to know him. He just tries to make himself be seen as a bad person."

After that, the subject of Bruce was dropped and the two continue talking for the rest of the night. The bar was closing when the two had finally stopped talking. They both exited the bar together.

"So can I see you again Zana?" Mike asked politely.

Zatanna hesitated. She only intended to take this for the night and then reveal that she knew all along he was none other than B'wanna Beast. But she actually had a really great time with him. Maybe she could just drag this little game a little longer for fun.

"Sure Mike. Maybe next week. Meet me after the next Monday afternoon show. I got to go now though. It was a great night."

"Do you want me to walk you home?"

"I am pretty sure I can make it the rest of the way. I appreciate the offer though. See ya next week Mike."

"Yeah see ya," he grinned sheepishly as he watched her walk away. She really was his woman. He was going to do all he can not to mess this one up. Hopefully as they became more close to her he would reveal his identity to her and they could start something special. When he first saw her, he thought she was beautiful. The more he got to know her, the more he got to love her.

Mike sighed and he made his way to the train so he could be teleported outside of Gotham.

Lois and Clark were pulling an all nighter at the planet; it was about two in the morning. There was uproar about some political scandal going on. While on her third cup of coffee, Lois decided to take a break and turned on the TV by her and Clark's desk to watch a replay of the news earlier today.

Lois watched Bruce earlier on the TV give the idiot responses and how all the phony reporters ate it all up. Idiots, the whole lot of them. Poor Bruce though. No matter how hard he tried, she could tell he was hurting under his cocky demeanor. She was mad at Clark. How could he give up on his best friend like that? Sure Bruce is stubborn but sometimes that's what friends do.

But Bruce was not the only thing she was mad at Clark for. How really dense could he be? She must have let it slip five times she knew he was Superman when she was drunk and he did not notice. Then when he took her back to the hotel which was sweet of him and she hit on him. Of course if she was sober, she would never do that to him. But it was bothering her that she had literally flung herself at him, and he still did not work up the courage to tell her the truth.

Of course he would try to maybe use the excuse that he did not want to tell her while she was drunk. But she knew better. The mighty man of steel was afraid of commitment. He was just like Bruce in some ways and he did not realize it. She was so going to make him pay today.

"Smallville!" she shouted at him rather unnecessary loud.

"Yes Lois?" Clark said trying to hide his wincing in pain. She sometimes loved that he had super hearing.

"You are so buying me lunch for the rest of the week again!"

"Whu-why?"

"Because you let me get drunk and made myself a fool in front of Vikki Vale of all people!" she lied. She did not care what Vale thought of her.

"Ok I am sorry."

Lois smiled, she can get that man sometimes to melt like putty. It was really sweet how he was so smitten with her. She sometimes felt she did not deserve Clark. He was a better person than her. But she at the same time felt she did not deserve to be lied to by him her whole life. Relationships were built on trust, and if Clark had could not bring himself to trust and commit to her by revealing his identity, then she could not be with him.

That was why she decided to settle down with Gary. He may have not been Superman. But at least he showed he was willing to trust her and care for her. Perry always thought of him as a phony. But she believed Perry was just being protective of her. He acted sometimes like a father to her.

Speaking of the devil, Perry came to Clark and her very mad.

"I hope you two are having fun flirting with each other but right now word has just reached that Oliver Queen, the billionaire is getting married to Dinah Lance!

"The Black Canary?" Clark asked trying to act confused.

"Yeah. I do not know what it is these Justice League girls see in billionaires like them."

"Speaking of which, what about this Bruce Wayne story still? Do you think it is relevant?"

"Hell it is! Why does Mr. Howard Hughes suddenly come back like this? It is a mystery worth investigating. Lois I want you covering it, and this time do not get drunk on the job. Kent! I want you to cover the Queen story!"

"But what about this story about a museum theft in Gotham last weekend?"

"That is irrelevant! Gotham is filled with thieves! That is something the Batman looks out for!"

And with that he stormed off.

"Do you think the planet has gone soft?" Clark asked, softening his tone.

Lois sighed, "No. Perry still has journalistic integrity. After all these two stories are interesting. Two billionaires bagging it with female members of the Justice League? Something is going up."

"Yea something," said Clark. He knew it was a coincidence but she had a point. What are the odds these two incidents would happen around the same time? He knew Arrow and Canary would tie the knot eventually, he just did not expect it to happen the same time Bruce was forced into three dates with three League members. One of whom, was the love of his life, whether he was too blind to see it.


	16. Bad Meetings

"So what you are telling me is that the entire universe is going to come to an end and we have no idea what it is?" asked Flash dumbfounded at Diana's explanation.

"Yes I am afraid the gods have detected something amiss right now. Something evil coming thru."

John snorted. "Well I am glad they took the time to give us a heads up without telling us anything. Some gods."

Diana glared at John. Shayera glared at Diana, partly because she was still mad at her, but also partly because she felt like the Amazon was going to threaten her man.

They were seated in the weekly founder's meetings at night on the Watchtower. The meetings always took place on Monday nights, but because Superman had to work late, they bumped it to Tuesday night for the week. Usually the meetings about boring stuff and would only take 30 minutes. This however was different. The tension was stronger than usual, and the real reason had nothing to do with the bad news Diana had brought. Wonder Woman and Hakwgirl were still at war with each other.

The Martian could sense their anger and was doing his best to keep a stone face. Their emotions were giving him one hell of a headache. He signaled to Superman to alert him of the imposing storm. Luckily the Kryptonian took the hint and tried to bring back to the main topic.

"Diana do you have any idea what these omens could be?"

Diana put aside her anger to address the rest of the founders. "My gods say they are not allowed to interfere. We must find this out on our own."

"Wait are you saying this is like a test or something?"

"I think it is more than a test. More like the final question whether the world and the universe deserve to survive. This is something beyond my gods' powers."

"Well. I will put the Question and Mr. Terrific on the case then. If anyone can find the leads they can. They are the smartest guys here in the League…" Superman said drifting away as his eyes slowly veered accidently to an empty chair across from him, where the actual smartest man in the League use to sat. The other founders also involuntarily followed his gaze.

Batman's chair was usually empty even before he resigned, him being a part time member and busy with Gotham. Still he would occasionally show up. After his resignation, the founders decided to let his seat remain untouched for the time being. The seat would always belong to Batman.

"Do you think maybe he will help?" asked Flash cautiously. He was treading on dangerous waters.

Before the storm could pore over, Superman decided to be proactive and cut the issue off before it grew.

"No Batman has made his choice clear. The least we can do is respect that."

_Respect? _

Diana was angry at that remark. That man wanted the League to respect his wish to be alone, yet he seemed to have no problem in messing with their personal lives.

Shayera was of like mind. She was madder that Batman seemed to get more special treatment than her, even after she made it clear she was sorry for her mistakes. But then again Batman never sold out the planet.

J'onn sensing the angry thoughts growing again decided it was time to signal Superman to adjourn the meeting before anything could get worse.

"Mr. Terrific, and the Question, will try to find leads. Diana you will work with them this week and see if you can discern anything from the artifacts they gave you. In the meantime, meeting adjourned."

Superman, the Martian, and the Flash all used their speed to get out as fast as they could. Diana and Shayera took their time both reaching the door at the same time.

"By all means, go ahead," Diana said with the most venom she could muster.

"Royalty first," Shayera retorted sarcastically.

Diana decided it was not worth it to fight Shayera today and stormed out, leaving Shayera with a satisfied smirk. She remembered John was still in the room. She turned around.

"Well, do you got anything to say Stewart?" she looked at him challenging.

"_I broke up with Mari because I have realized that I have been an idiot and I will always love you my angel!"_ John screamed in his head. He was dying to say it. However his eyes, while growing green remain cool with his stone face.

"I do not have anything to say to you Shayera," he lied. Coward.

He immediately regretted those words when he saw the hurt in her eyes. He should have told her the truth but he was still too stubborn. Idiot!

"Well then do not waste my time!" she shrieked back angrily and stormed off.

"Damnnit! Why do I have to make this worse?" he cursed to himself as he stormed out angrily.

Unnoticed by either of the founders, a stranger in a blue fedora and coat stood in the corners, laughing to himself.

"I do not see why you waste your time with these petty squabbles," said an angry voice behind Phantom Stranger. The Stranger turned around to see a spirit in a green cloak. His old friend the Spectre.

"I find it amusing and interesting to see how some of these relationships come together now the future has been changed."

"Only a few have. The Archer's and the Lantern's would still turn out the same," the Spectre retorted angrily. "Besides, you did not change the future, you only sped it up."

"I disagree with you."

"Even you cannot contend with the wrath of God. Not even the Olympians, the New Gods, or the Norsemen can delay it. God's wrath will come. By changing one moment you have sped up the end of time for a ridiculous slim chance that it will work."

"And it is because of that slim chance I have faith that it will work. That is your problem Spectre, you lack faith."

"I am the left hand of God! Humanity and life itself will finally face its punishment and you will then finally realize your interference was for nothing."

"I did not interfere; I gave the Amazon a choice. She made the sacrifice."

"But do you think Batman will be willing to make the sacrifice as well? Do you think the Amazon will be willing to do it again as well?"

"I do believe it yes."

The Spectre just glared and then faded away slowly, "Do not waste your time watching these petty squabbles at least then. Everything will end the same."

The Phantom Stranger remained in the room silently. "I am sorry that you seem to have lost faith in humanity. I promise you my friend though, I will prove you wrong."

Soon the room was empty again, like Batman's chair had been for the past year.


	17. Jealousy

Zatanna was on the phone with one of her old contacts in the occult. It took her all week to get a hold of him. She never really liked him because he was abrasive and grumpy. He was also part goblin which meant he had disgusting hygiene as well. Still he was the best in knowledge of ancient artifacts.

"So what did you find about the eye Glosh?" she demanded aggressively. She was in no mood for small chat with him.

"Well because you asked so nicely I will tell you, you ugly bitch!" he roared back. She did not seem to find the fact he found her unattractive bad at all.

"Do you or do you not?" she said with more power in her voice.

"This eye of Montezuma is not of Aztec origin."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that it was made by little ponies and fairies, it means the Aztecs did not create it you whore!" he said sarcastically.

Zatanna was trying to keep all her patience together.

"Then what did it come from?"

"All I know is it is actually from Ancient Egypt. Somehow a fiery bird transported it over the ocean and dropped it off in the Central American jungle until the Aztec recovered it years ago."

"Why would a bird take it so far away?"

"The book I looked at said it was to keep the artifacts separate."

"Artifacts?"

"Objects, things, trinkets! Do I need to spell it out for you? Does nothing get threw that bimbo brain of your-OW!"

Zatanna had whispered a spell while he was attempting to insult her once more. She was really lacking patience.

"Well?" she asked sinisterly. She thought she heard him still crying in pain.

"There are four objects, a shield, the eye, a cup, and a sword. They are drawn in a weird picture. Apparently together they would unleash a power more destructive than anyone could imagine."

"Where are the other objects?"

"The shield was said to be hidden in a Greek temple, the sword was said to be taken to the North gods. As for the cup, it said it was hidden in the desert before it was passed down a generation of carpenters and kings."

"Is that all you found?" Zatanna asked, this information seem useless to her.

"Yes and do not call me again when you want me to waste my time!" he said angrily before rudely hanging up.

Zatanna sighed, this was worse than talking to Bruce. At least he had somewhat decency. But then again, she did keep weird company.

Speaking of Bruce she might as well call him and tell her what she found, but he could wait. It was time to confront something she had been avoiding all week.

She stepped outside her Watchtower room and went to the founder's rooms. Shayera's was the smallest one, because she was not technically part of the Justice League anymore when the second tower was built. Batman quickly sought that part of his room be converted to Shayera's since he was a part timer anyways. But Shayera requested the smaller one, she preferred a Spartan life.

When Zatanna went to knock on the room, she made sure she had her wand ready, just in case. Vaguely, she could smell sweat and hear the sounds of iron clanking. With a mix of dread and determination she knocked on the door.

"Come in," grunted out Shayera.

Zatanna entered to find Shayera lifting weights, more than she thought any mortal male power lifter can do. She forgot Shayera had above average strength which made the witch a little more nervous now.

"What do you want?" Shayera asked while wiping the sweat off her forehead with a towel after finishing a set.

"I want to talk about…the date we have to do…" Zatanna said trying to sound as casually as she could.

Of course she knew it failed right away because Shayera had dropped the extra weight she was adding.

"I am not doing it," Shayera responded angrily, her eyes growing with flame.

"You have to; we agreed to do it for a charity…"

"Charity be damned! You know Diana and I cannot sit in the same room! Do you know why I had to put weights in here? Because we destroyed the training room fighting!"

"I have faith you can work it out…"

"If you were in the founder's meeting you would have none because we were both this close to throttling each other! I would have loved to slam that smug face of hers on the table!" Shayera ranted, eyes darting looking for her mace, she was on the warpath now.

"Shayera! We do not have to do it together! I talked to Bruce and told him we will do it separately! He already announced it to the press. That way it would be less awkward."

Shayera had paused to catch her breath. The idea seemed a little better, but still she did not want to go on a date with Bruce.

"You see that would mean I would still have to go with Bruce…"

"Shayera, no offense, but not all the public love you yet. If you renege on this it will give another reason for people to hate you. You do not need any more negative press. Besides, you can still make a certain someone jealous…"

Shayera was not even listening more. Making John jealous was a given, but now an added bonus had come. She could make a certain spoiled Princess jealous as well. Maybe things were turning out better after all.

"Alright Z, I will do it," Shayera said with a wicked grin on her face which made Zatanna starting to doubt her decision to talk her friend into honoring the date.

"_What have I done?"_ she moaned in her head before rolling her eyes and exiting the room leaving Shayera to continue her workout. She needed to find Diana next whose room was on the other side of Batman's. The witch smirked to herself; she knew a certain designer did that on purpose, at least subconsciously.

But Diana was not in her room. Probably on a mission. She decided to go to the Monitor Womb to check with Mr. Terrific to see if he could call her. It would probably be better to try to convince Diana to do the date when she was tired and worn out from a mission.

Unfortunately she saw Diana full alert in the Monitor Womb with Mr. Terrific and the Question. Looking over something on the computers.

Zatanna cleared her throat, bracing herself for the second time.

The three heads turn around. Mr. Terrific seem undisturbed by her appearance. Then again she was dressed different last time he saw her. Question, well his face was literally blank with the mask on so he could not be read. Diana however, was very bad at keeping a straight face. Her eyes were alight with raw fury.

"Hello Zatanna," she greeted with a coldness that contrasted with her eyes. Zatanna knew Diana would always be near snapping whenever the Amazon was acting her coldest.

"Hey guys, I need to talk to Diana. Do you mind if I could borrow her?"

Both men, as if sensing the mounting tension between the two women shook their heads fast. They did not want to be near this active volcano. With reluctance Diana followed Zatanna out of the Monitor Womb, very stiffly and tense.

The two men were looking at each other.

"What was that all about?" Holt asked.

"It is still about the date auction with Bruce I am guessing," the Question said stoically. He called Batman Bruce because Holt, as being the third smartest man in the world, was well aware if the Bat's double life.

"I thought she was mad at Shayera?"

"Oh yes but that hatred goes way back. Zatanna was the planner of that auction. Both Shayera and Diana are mad at her now because they realize they were tricked by her."

"Tricked? How?" asked Holt. Usually he was all about professionalism but this was too big to ignore.

"Zatanna was trying to make Bruce jealous by having Diana be up for bid at an auction. She thought he would crawl out of his shell. Unfortunately, Bruce ended up accidently bidding on them and now the drama unfolds."

"How do you accidently bid on someone?" Holt asked confused. He was glad he took the weekend off after he saw the three women dressed nicely. He missed the drama hurricane.

"Long story. I am just glad Helena and I keep our lives personal," Vic said smugly.

"Yea how are you guys doing by the way?" Holt asked trying to be polite.

"Good, we are celebrating our 1 year anniversary," the Question said with pride.

"Congrats. Wait you guys were dating I thought for two and a half years?"

"One and a half, we eloped a year ago."

"Wow. You two sure kept it quiet. Does anyone know?"

"Only Arrow and Canary. Dinah and Helena became best friends before we tied the knot. We invited them to our little wedding in Vegas."

"And everyone thought Arrow is the first of the guys to settle down. Got to be honest though, I do not think anyone would have picked you as the first guy though."

"I did not believe it either. Honestly though, I think there are three male members in the League who will be the last or never settle down at the rate things are going."

"Who?"

"Green Lantern, Superman and Batman," the Question said counting with his fingers.

Zatanna led Diana around a corner with a nice view of earth from the Watchtower. She quickly made sure everyone was out of earshot, at least out of normal earshot. Taking off her hat and sighing she turned to her opponent ready to face the fury.

"We need to talk about the date auction," Zatanna said, desperately trying to sound casual.

"There is nothing to discuss," said Diana very coldly and sinisterly. It made her sound like Batman to an extent. And people said they were not made for each other.

"Diana, wait!" Zatanna shouted angrily as the Amazon turned away. Shayera had a point; Diana could get a little stuck up sometimes.

"Look Di, I am sorry that this happened. I did not intend-"

"What did you intend?" shouted Diana angrily, ended her cold demeanor. "Did you think me and Bruce would run into each other's arms when we saw each other?"

"No. I was just trying to help-"

"Help? You have made things worse! Next time you want to help, do not interfere with my personal life at all you witch!"

"Do not get so all high and mighty with me Diana! If I recall correctly you were full aware that it was in Gotham! Did you not think for a minute you might run into Bruce?"

"Yes but if I did I wanted to show him I was an independent woman who did not need him anymore and rub it in his face! Instead you tricked him and he bid on us for a ridiculous amount of money! Now you have just given him more power to hurt me again! My body may not be vulnerable but my heart is!"

For a while there was silence as both women angrily stared each other down breathing heavily. Finally both seem to come to their sense and calmed down, with guilty looks. They could not afford to fight each other right now. The League needed to be professional.

"I am a patron of truth; I will honor my end of the bargain, however painful it will be. Although I cannot promise I will not hurt Bruce or Shayera."

"Well you're in luck," retorted Zatanna, still a little angry. "Because we are dating him separately. He has already announced it to the press on Monday so you cannot back out anyways."

And sensing this was an appropriate time to exit, Zatanna stomped off leaving a stunned Diana alone. Diana was not alone for long however. Pretty soon the Man of Steel walked in with a concern look on his face.

"Is everything alright? I heard shouting."

Diana smirked. Kal trying to be polite. She damn knew well he probably heard and understood everything.

"It's alright Kal. I know you heard everything."

Superman walked up to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

"It's okay Diana. If Bruce gives you a hard time, I will knock some sense into him."

"He might be in the hospital before you get to him the rate my temper's going," she bantered back, earning a chuckle from her friend.

They both looked into each other's eyes. On impulse Diana put a hand around his neck.

"Diana, what are you doing mmph!"

Diana had started to violently kiss him. This was not slow or romantic, just pure lust and passion, which Superman quickly and eagerly returned. All these years of pent up sexual tension were finally being released. His right hand began to caress her back as she moaned and grabbed tighter around his hair.

To Superman this was the best thing he could have wanted. The most beautiful woman in the world loving him back. But then an image of Lois flashed before his head. Diana could never fit Lois's place. And then he felt disgusted with himself. He was using one best friend as an outlet to his sexual frustration while simultaneously betraying another. He was better than this.

Quickly he broke off the moment. He was shocked to see Diana remained poise and not at all disturb or upset that he suddenly went cold. In fact she was grinning like she just heard one of Wally's dumb jokes and began to walk away.

"What-What was that for?"

"I just wanted to see what Lois is missing!" she called back and headed back to the Monitor Womb.

Neither hero noticed though that a camera nearby had been fixed on them for the last five minutes instead of making its usual observations on the other side.

He had hacked into the Watchtower cameras again. What happen to his almighty self-discipline? But then again with her he always made exceptions and cracked.

He decided to see how she was holding up. Deciding she would deserve some privacy he made sure that the Watchtower video feeds in the Monitor Womb would glitch for five minutes giving him enough time to use the cameras to find her and check on her really quick without anyone noticing.

It did not take long; he saw her talking with Superman. The Kryptonian had his arm around her. What the hell was Kent doing? He was supposed to be pining for Lois. Did things really change over the entire year? But maybe this meant nothing. The two metas were friends after all.

What he saw next nearly caused him to crush the keyboard with his fist. The two of them were kissing. Not just a friendly kiss, but a full drawn out wild one! It was a miracle there clothes were not off yet. How did the boy scout learn to love a woman like that? He was about to cut the feed when he saw them break away and act like nothing's happening. Luckily Diana had turned at an angle so he could read the final remark on her lips.

Good. So that did not mean anything. It was just a tender moment between friends. Nothing more. Kent still had Lois, and Diana was still single.

"_You are pathetic,"_ scoffed the voice of the Bat in his head.

Batman sighed. Was he really that pathetic? He definitely was. For years he jerked and jerked Diana around toying with her heart and emotions because he was too cowardly to make a full committed decision. After finally breaking her heart and refusing to mend it, did he really think she belonged to him? Perhaps the Amazons were right about men being cruel savages after all…

He shook his head; there was not time to brood on his personal life right now. Arkham had a breakout including Killer Croc and Poison Ivy. An odd combination but nonetheless still deadly. It made Batman feel a little guilty but he was kind of glad this was happening. With patrol being monotonous, he usually found himself haunted by his own personal failures. Having a near death experience was the best cure to those distractions. With a slight spring in his step he jumped into the batmobile and took off for a good night.

"Master we have all the objects except the sword. I say we kidnap the German and torture it out of him."

The Master was hidden in the shadows but still he made his presence known with his sinister aura.

"No. He will not talk. Have patience Pierre. We will have to outsmart the German into revealing the sword. These things take time. Why I would have waited for another 50 years for the eye itself. I have all the time in the world."

"But master, why do we stay in Gotham then?"

"It is the capital of crime and smuggling. It seems the best place to lie low."

"But won't the Dark Knight-"

"Batman is old! He is not as young and vibrant as he once was. His mind is failing! He has left the League, making them weaker as well! Nothing can stop us! Now have patience my friend. We will strike soon!"


	18. Zatanna

Question and Holt, now joined by Green Arrow were fiddling around with the camera feed.

"Damn, I wanted to see what she was going to tell Superman!' muttered Holt in disappointment. Professionalism had gone out the window by now.

"These camera feeds phase out once in a while. Especially when Diana is the subject. I suspect members of the Conspiracy are trying to steal her image to make clones…"

"Ok, back to reality. You guys want a beer?" Arrow asked, pulling out a six pack.

"No can do, got to be focus…"

"And I can't drink with this on!" Question said pointed to his mask in annoyance.

"You can take it off, half of us know who you are V-"

"Not with the conspiracy stealing Diana's image! They might be waiting for me as well!"

Green Arrow rolled his eyes. It still puzzled him how they became best friends. But Superman and Batman were or at least use to be best friends. Stranger things have happened.

"Well cheers, to marriage!" he said sarcastically, downing the bottle to himself.

Diana had walked back in.

"O I am sorry Oliver, I have not congratulated you or Dinah yet on your engagement!" said Diana looking guilty.

Oliver grinned. "Don't worry about it. I have heard from plenty already."

"So when is the wedding going to happen?" asked Diana curiously. Never would she probably get married, but it was nice to see her friends find someone who would complete them.

"Have not decided yet. Super-I mean Clark Kent interviewed me over the phone and I have not given him a set date yet."

Holt scoffed, "Please Oliver Queen, you are with the two smartest men in here. Did you think we would not have figured out Superman's identity?"

Green Arrow looked at Holt's condescending remark angrily. He did not like being insulted like that. Before he could say anything, Wally zoomed in still in uniform carrying two ties.

"Hypothetically speaking I was in a pinstripe suit at a charity ball for the Central City Police Department, which tie would I wear?"

Oliver chuckled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"At a charity ball? That has to be black tie man. Do not worry I can lend you one of my suits that does not fit me. They sized it wrong."

When Wally looked at him suspiciously, Arrow chuckled.

"Trust me, I am a billionaire."

That seemed to reassure Wally and he followed Arrow to the teleporters to go pick up a new suit.

Diana smiled to herself. It seemed Wally had taken her advice after all. From what she heard, he was invited to this ball for his work with the police department and he asked this woman named Linda on a date. Everything was going right for everyone, except for her that is.

She turned her head to the monitors and decided to continue to work with the two geniuses on the monitors.

Batman sat on the roof examining his shoulder. The two crooks went out easily, but that did not mean Croc was able to deliver a good beating. Still though, it was not as big of a fight as he hoped for. Was this how he was cursed to spend the rest of his life in monotony and boredom desperate for a challenge until someone killed him? He doubted that was what his parents would have wanted.

Someone had placed their hand on his shoulder flirtatiously, rubbing his jaw line. Normally he would react violently to such a sudden personal contact, but he had already sensed her behind him long ago. Foolishly he hoped ignoring her would make her go away.

"Hello Selina," he said, making the bitterness in his voice known.

"Why must you be so mopey sometimes Bruce? Why don't you meet at my place tonight? It will be like old times."

She started rubbing up against him, very reminiscent of a feline. She stopped when she saw she was getting a cold reaction.

"Wow I must be getting old, I could usually at least get you to react a little. But now you are just an old statue," she said with disappointment in her voice.

"I have moved on Selina."

"Bullshit Bruce," she hissed angrily, startling Bruce by her sudden mood swing. "What is this business of buying three women you know for a date auction? Especially a certain Amazon Princess. Tell me Bruce; was she as good as me?"

"There was nothing. And there will be nothing."

"If you say so," she said with her hands on her hips mockingly. "Just to let you know you will not be seeing me much anymore."

That finally got a reaction out of him.

"What did you do?"

"I am retiring Bruce. I am over 40. I know I still look like I am 25 but my body cannot take the strain anymore. I am moving to the West Coast. I came here tonight to see if anything is worth staying for, but I do not think there is."

"Selina," Bruce said with regret. The bridge may have been burned, but he still cared for her deeply.

Selina took off her mask to show her brilliant green eyes as she took off his cowl. For a while neither said anything. She then moved into kiss him. It was nothing like the other ones they used to have when they were younger. But it was still nice and passionate. Selina broke away smiling sadly before putting her mask back on. She helped him put his cowl back on.

"I am really going to miss you Bruce. You were right; we could never work together in the long run. But you were wrong, it was not me, it was you."

Before he could voice his confusion she continued on.

"Even if I change, I can never change you. We can never work out because I can never change you. Just do me a favor if this is the last time I see you, please find someone who can actually make you happy. If anyone deserves it, it is you."

She made to leave forever before she felt a hand grasp hers.

"Selina-" he said half pleading half softly.

"Good-bye Bruce," she smiled softly before taking off into the city. She was long gone before he turned back around to watch the empty street below him.

"I am incapable of being happy," he whispered softly to himself before deciding it was time to call it a night. He had a date coming up tomorrow.

Zatanna looked at herself pleased in the mirror. She was wearing a black dress with dangling pearl earrings. It was cut high so it allowed her to show off her legs which she already did on a daily basis. For extra effect she wore some extra inch heels so she could match to Bruce's height. She was afraid all the black would make her look like a mistress of darkness, but then again she was a witch.

Humming a tune she got her purse, put her wand it, and made her way outside. Bruce was kind enough to have sent a car to come pick her up. At first she felt bad for taking a little longer than she should have, but then again she was not paying for it, he was.

Smiling she was escorted into the car by the driver. Although he seemed very professional and impassive, she had a feeling she could sense his eyes darting at her legs. Unlike Diana, she always was well aware of her beauty and knew how to use it sometimes to charm a man or get what she wanted. Men were so predictable.

"_What about Mike?"_ her thoughts retorted. That was true. Mike, otherwise known as B'wanna Beast did surprise her when he showed up in his alter ego to try to impress her. Usually his advances on her were annoying but this one was different, it was special. He gave her the kind of attention she only dreamed Bruce would have given her when she was a teenager. But that was a thing of the past.

Or present because as of right now she had to date Bruce. Really she finally had confronted her feelings about them after they kissed the other night. Now she was determined that Bruce and Diana would get together. They both could be arrogant and stubborn, but so was Zatanna.

Finally they pulled up to the restaurant to find themselves swarmed by the paparazzi. Already a celebrity of international credibility she was used to it, but never this level. For a second Zatanna thought there was a rumor she must have been part of some sex scandal or something going around about her. But then she remembered this was the first time in a year Bruce went back out on a public date.

Sighing with resignation, she got out and braved thru the storm, ignoring questions but still keeping a smile and an aura of calm as she walked thru. Deciding it would be best to keep her mouth shut; she ignored the questions being shouted at her and entered the restaurant to find a snobbish matre'de waiting for her.

"Ms. Zatara," he said in what sounded like a fake French accent.

"Mr. Wayne is waiting for you on the second floor in the private area."

Smirking Zatanna followed the patron to her table. Of course Bruce would purposely make sure they were hidden from the paparazzi during the meal so he could probably interrogate her on what she found out about the eye. Well she was going to make sure he would have a good time this evening and not make it all business.

Bruce was already waiting for her at the table. A waiter had just come by and took the menus. With a smirk on his face he went up and kissed her on the cheek and winked at her.

"Oh Zana what an excellent prize. You have certainly bewitched me with your beauty. I do not think you will need your wand tonight."

Zatanna thought she heard the maitre de scoff silently at Bruce's cheesy remark.

"I hope you do not mind but I already ordered the appetizers and meal. Do not worry, I ordered your favorite."

"Filet mignon?"

"Of course. And I asked for it medium rare, just how you like it."

Zatanna smiled and took a seat across from Bruce on their small table.

"In exchange, you can pick the wine and dessert tonight."

"O thank you Bruce," she played along batting her eyelashes. She then proceeded to select a bottle from the wine list. When the waiter left, she began to laugh.

"How do you do it? I can barely keep a straight face. Do they actually buy it?"

"You would be surprise how gullible people are when they are judgmental. How are you doing?"

"Fine. I have to ask something. Did you really ask B'wanna Beast to join the League?"

Bruce's eyes lit up in danger. He lowered his voice to the tone of the Bat and whispered so that she could hear, "What the hell are you doing? Does the concept of secret identity mean nothing to you?"

Zatanna smirked and whispered something and a little blue spark shot out of her hand.

"We can talk whatever we want. I just cast a simple spell. Unless they are standing at this table, they will not be able to hear us. You are not going to get thru this easy Bruce."

Bruce glared back but quickly replaced it with a grin as he saw the waiter come back with the wine.

"So is it true then?"

Bruce, looking embarrassed, "Yes. He saved me when Penguin made a hoard of angry birds attack me again when I was chasing him in the San Diego Zoo."

"What were you all doing in San Diego?"

"Long story. Anyways, my mask came off in the fray and he saw it and was so excited that he recognized me. Deciding I needed to placate him, I offered him a spot on the League."

"He is actually not that bad. If I recall you were so desperately in need of him while we were dealing with Circe."

"And if I recall, you were not too fond of his interest in you."

"He is actually not that bad of a person. Did you know he appeared to me in his civilian identity and took me out for a drink on Monday?"

Bruce chuckled, "And let me guess, you figured it was him right away even though he attempted to hide his voice."

"Yes. I decided to play along. He actually showed me a great time."

"So are you seeing him now?" Bruce asked curiously. He did not want the subject to lead to how Diana figured out his identity.

"No, of course not. I like being Ms. Independent. I just thought I mess around with him a little."

"O really," Bruce gave a knowing smirk.

"I am serious!"

"Sure…"

The two friends laughed together. It was a genuine laugh from Bruce. Sure Zatanna knew he had to disguise it all dopey and half drunk to keep up his playboy image, but she knew he was really having a good time.

They were eating the meal when Zatanna decided to broaden her borders.

"So where are you going to take the other two?

Bruce almost choked on his food and coughed a little.

"I, excuse me, have not decided yet. I thought maybe since you enjoy this place maybe-"

"No!" Zatanna cut into them. "We are different women with different relationships with you. Both do not really want to do it with you either. The least you could do is give them a good time."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Shayera is aggressive and more brutish. She is not really into this fancy stuff. As for Diana, hell I am not going to touch that one."

Bruce groaned. He really was hoping she would tell him what to do with Diana. He did not want to hurt Diana again.

The dessert had come and the two resumed their regular banter. Zatanna then decided she needed to start making this more personal.

"Bruce, can I ask you a question."

"For you anything," he grinned with a twinkle in his eye.

"I am serious Bruce."

"As am I," he said, his tone changing to very cold and stiff as his eyes slightly narrowed.

"You miss Alfred don't you?"

Bruce placed a hand on hers gently; he broke eye contact with her. He was too proud to allow her to see him vulnerable like that.

"He did everything for me. He was my father. And in the end he hated me…"

"That is not true he loved you."

"He hated what I had become. He only stayed with me out of duty for my parents."

"Bruce I know you do not even believe it, please do not do this again. Going into self-hate…"

"I deserve it Zatanna! I am all alone. I have no family! You are all that I have left!"

Zatanna was thankful she did place the muffling spell around them earlier. She was sure his voice would have been heard outside the private room.

"That is not true. Alfred may have been mad at you, but he never gave up on you. None of them did, not even Dick, Bruce. You still have a family!"

"No I do not. Dick called me the other day! He pretty much told me I was not Tim or his father and he is right! I am not family to them. Barbara, she hates me. Leslie, well she will not admit it but she is disappointed in me and she is right! I am a coward!"

"Quit calling yourself a coward! I know you Bruce; you avoid them not out of fear for yourself! But for fear of their own safety! That in itself is pretty noble, despite being very misguided! Tim, Dick, they all need you Bruce."

For a minute she thought he was going to storm off, but she glared back. Finally he relented. He grabbed both of her hands and looked into her eyes pleading and sorrowful. A few tears were streaming.

"I am sorry Zana. I just do not what to do. I do not think I can do this."

Zatanna smiled and lean in and kissed him on the cheek.

"You can Bruce. I believe in you."

The waiter came back to take their plates, momentarily distracting her. When she looked over Bruce had put back on the stupid playboy grin. It always marveled her how he could do that; dramatically shut his emotions down. For a minute she thought all her efforts were in vain. Sadly she got up to leave.

"Goodbye Bruce," she said with finality but then she felt his hand still gripping hers.

"Zatanna," he whispered gently into her ear. "Thank you."

She smiled with hope. "For what?"

"Everything." He then escorted her back to the car. They went in for one final embrace and she went in, shutting the door, very pleased that she started to chip away at the walls he put around himself.


	19. Family Reunion

Flash was humming to himself. He had a wonderful time with Linda. She laughed at his corny jokes, she would hit him, gently of course, whenever he insulted her playfully, and most of all she liked him because of him. Not because he was the Flash, not that she knew, but because he was Wally West.

Maybe all these years trying to get a girlfriend by using his Flash persona were for nothing. Maybe if he really wanted to get a beautiful woman he needed to be Wally West. There is an irony in that. But then again, Bruce Wayne probably got more game than Batman.

He was on his way to thank Green Arrow for lending him the suit when he saw Zatanna who was looking mighty pleased with herself as well.

"Looks like someone had a good night," she noted.

"Why you say that?"

"You have a more idiotic grin on your face than usual."

He laughed.

"Hey how did you date go with-well you know?"

"You mean Bruce? It was fun."

"Really? He did it not try to sabotage it or run away?"

"I think he was tempted to, but I know him too well. He was not getting out of this one."

"So is he going to follow thru on Shayera and Diana?"

"I would like to think so, but who knows. Do not tell anyone this, but I think he might be opening himself up again."

"The Bat revealing his emotions? That is like asking hell to freeze over."

"I know, but I think I got him to at least try talking to some estranged family members."

"I thought the only family he had left was his parents?"

Zatanna smiled softly. "Family is not by blood. Wally. You should of all people know that. I have seen you with Shayera. You even say she's your sister."

"I guess you're right. Speaking of which I got to check up on her. See ya Z!"

"Be careful Flash. Usually she kick boxes at this hour."

Flash grin and sped off leaving Zatanna to herself. She then realized that she had forgotten to tell Bruce what she had found about the Eye of Montezuma. Being distracted all week she had put it off. Hopefully he would not be too angry.

She went into her room for privacy and used one of the private phones Bruce had installed in. It rang for a while that she thought she might have dialed the wrong number but when she heard the voicemail she knew he had. Thinking Bruce probably thought she was Clark or someone else from the League she started talking.

"Bruce come on, pick up! I know you're there! Listen I need to talk…"

"Did you not have enough last night!" said a tired and grumpy voice that she had not heard when she was leaving her message pick up the phone. For a second she was about to snip back but then she remembered it was Saturday morning, he always slept in on the weekends.

"I am sorry Bruce I did not mean to wake you, I just found out some stuff recently about the Eye of Montezuma," she lied. She did not want to admit she could have told him days ago.

"What is it?" he was awake now.

"According to my contact, it is part of four sets of artifacts. A cup, a shield, a sword, and the eye. It is not even Aztec; apparently the Eye is actually of Egyptian origin but was transported to Central America somehow."

"What do these artifacts have in common?"

"Nothing other than together they somehow lead the one who unites them to a source of destructive power. There was not much else. I am sorry I cannot be of any more help."

"You have done more than you should have. Thank you Zana. I will talk to you later."

"Oh and Bruce, before you go. I want to let you know I had a great time last night.

"I did too," he said softly before hanging up leaving a very happy Zatanna.

Bruce got out of bed and stretched, so this was no mere coincidence then. Whoever was trying to steal these objects were following a pattern. Stein seemed to know there was a group looking for those objects. Who where they? Family rivals? A cult perhaps? Just ordinary thieves?

Whatever they were, it was worth investigating this lead. He decided to take a shower first and got ready to go down into the cave and see if he could find anything. Grabbing himself a towel he walked into the bathroom to reflect.

Was Zatanna right? Did he still have a family? Did Dick really love him still?

These questions poured thru his mind as he absentmindedly cleaned himself over and over. He already screwed up his relationship with Alfred, but maybe there was still time for Dick and Tim. Leslie was right, whether he would admit it or not, he was Tim's father.

But was it in Tim's best interest for him to get close? Everyone he ever loved as family was either killed or slowly faded away from his life. Could he put Tim thru more pain? Perhaps leaving Tim was for the best.

But what Zatanna said last night still stroked him hard. What if it was not too late yet? Could he still save from the ashes what remained of his family? Zatanna believed he could. What next happened seemed like a blur to Bruce.

He did not remember getting out of the shower finally. Nor did he remember putting on some casual clothes. In fact next thing he knew he was on the phone waiting for someone to pick up.

"Hello?" answered Leslie in a tired voice.

He panicked and immediately slammed the phone down. What the hell was he doing? He was losing it. It took a whole year of pain to push everyone of the batclan far away from him so they would never be hurt. He was being selfish.

"You're being selfish by not allowing them to care for you…" said the voice in his head calmly.

Feeling much more courageous and at the same time more nervous than he was a few minutes ago, he pushed the redial again.

"Hello who is this?" asked Leslie curiously on the other line.

"Leslie it's me, Bruce. Listen I am checking up on Tim-"

"He is doing alright Bruce, he has made some significant progress this week-"

But he could not wait any more; he needed to do this now before his will waned away again.

"Leslie, I want to see him," he said very fast. For a second he regretted it and prayed that Leslie did not hear d him, but she definitely did.

There was a silence on the other line and for a second he thought she had hung up, but then the lack of noise was filled by the sound of someone crying.

"Leslie!" he shouted with concern, "Is everything alright?"

"I am just so happy you have finally agreed Bruce. You have no idea how much this means to me and Tim. You are really making progress. I cannot wait to tell him, he is going to be so excited. When do you want to do it?"

"How about in an hour? Is that alright?"

"That's perfect! Please do not rush over though. Take your time!"

Bruce had never heard Leslie sound so happy and excited; he must have really been a royal ass the past year.

She was about to hang up when Bruce called her name.

"Leslie wait. Before you go can you do me a favor?"

"Always Bruce, what do you need sweetie?"

For a second he cracked a grin, he missed that nickname she called him before he was eight.

"Can you call Dick and tell him to come as well. Do not tell him I am coming though. I need to fix this. Don't tell Tim either."

There was a pause on the other line. Leslie then in an understanding tone replied, "Of course Bruce, I will."

"Thank you Leslie. I really do not know what I would do without you."

"Just make sure you get here," she said before hanging up.

Bruce quickly got out of his casual clothes. There was no way he would visit Tim in sweats and a sweatshirt, he deserved more. Quickly he put on some more respectable looking pants and a polo shirt with a nice pull over. He then put on a hat and dark shades. Even though he was changing a few things, he still was not going to lighten up on old habits. Wayne could not be seen visiting Tim.

He got in his car and drove away, heading away to possibly one of the biggest mistakes in his life.

Shayera was hitting the patted gloves or at least attempting to. Despite all her anger and fury, her reflexes were no match for Wally' speed.

"Come on Shy, you got to do better than that!" Wally taunted.

Shayera, deciding enough was enough, suddenly took off in the air and dropped a kick right to Wally's chest, sending him crashing to the other wall in her small room, coughing and trying to suck back air.

Wally gave her an incredulous look wheezing while she responded with an innocent smile.

"Hey…that…was…no…fair…you said you would only hit the pads," he pointed his finger like a little kid playing the blame game.

"O I am so sorry, you are just so fast I thought I saw it above your chest," Shayera said with mock flattery and walked over to help Wally off the ground.

"Thanks for being here for me Wally. In times like these, it is always good to have someone who cares."

Wally shrugged his shoulders sheepishly, "What are friends for? You all are my friends. Now you and Diana may not be getting along right now, but that's not going to stop me for being there for both of you."

Shayera walked up to him and put a sweaty hand on his shoulder.

"Wally I cannot believe you doubt yourself with women sometimes. You are the nicest guy a girl could ever have. Linda is lucky to have you."

"We have only been on one official date. Nothing serious yet," Flash assured, but his blushing face told otherwise.

"Uh-huh. Well she said she had a great time with you, I say it's something more. Keep looking up kid."

Wally beamed. "So have you-you know-planned anything with Bruce yet?"

Shayera turn around and sighed, "No I think he should plan it. I do not want to look like I am desperate to not be alone."

"But you are not alone you got-"

"You and that's about it. Sure there's J'onn, Superman, and a few others. But with Diana and me no longer friends, I am afraid I am all alone up here."

"Well maybe you will have a good time. From what Zatanna told me, she had a great time with Bats-I mean Bruce last night."

"Batman having a great time? I like to see that happen."

"Well she did not necessarily say that specifically but she made it clear that she was getting him to open up…"

"Open up! We are talking about Batman here, the grouchiest, self-hating, emotionless loner ever!" Shayera said trying to not laugh.

"Hey he and Z go way back and I mean way back. She knows how to push his buttons."

"Not as much as Diana though. I do not think she is even aware how much control she has over him."

"What do you mean?"

"O come one! Seriously?"

"Well I always thought they had an attraction but was it really that deep? I thought she loved him more than he did…"

"No it's blatantly the other way around! Do you remember when we first went to Gorilla City?"

"No I was wrestling with Grodd to save the day remember?"

"Well Diana stopped the last missile, but it crushed her. Batman lost total control. I mean, J'onn and I were sad, but Batman went berserk, it shocked us all!"

"Like how berserk are we talking about?" Why did no one ever tell him these things?

"As in trying-to-claw-her-out-from-the-rubble-with-his-bare-hands berserk. Luckily Diana was still alive and got herself out. Though the best part was, she noticed his gloves were covered with dirt and she kissed him on the cheek as a reward."

"Whoa, she kissed him first?"

"On the cheek and boy did he blush!"

"Well what happen after that?"

Shayera sighed, she was still mad at Diana, but she felt guilty telling all this personal stuff about her, but then again they were talking about Bruce, and Diana did call her a traitor bitch…

"Well remember that Kasnian Space Crisis?"

"Yea I got shot in space. It is not like the movies at all its cold and it sucks…"

"This is not about you, but basically she tells me it what pretty much sounds like a date."

"Stopping a madman does not seem to be a date…"

"Before it started, she met him as Bruce Wayne and he danced with her. She immediately figured out who he was. Later after the mission, she teased him about it and tried to make him dance with her again."

"Did she?"

"No because an emergency in Gotham came up at that moment, but if Gotham did not come to his rescue, I am willing to bet Diana would have gotten him to take her dancing."

"I did not know. How could he really be that smitten with her but treat her like crap?"

"Because he is an idiot. I do not know, that man is brilliant but he is borderline insane."

"And they said the Joker was the crazy one…" Flash joked.

Shayera punched him playfully.

"Well I suppose I should call him and try to get this over with. No use to dragging it out."

She went for her phone, and dialed a number that she was sure only she in the League was aware of…

Bruce paced around in her office. He decided he would wait there until Dick arrived in the waiting room. Before he would visit Tim, Dick had the right to be told first. Dick had invested more in Tim's well being than he ever did.

For a while he considered backing out like a coward. There was still time, Dick usually showed up late on that stupid motorcycle he rode. Maybe go out the window, he went thru tighter squeezes before…

At that moment he banged his head on the wall in frustration. What a jerk he was being. If he pulled out at the last minute like this Leslie would sure hate him now if she did not already. He at least owed Alfred and Zatanna to at least make an effort to help Tim. As for Dick, Dick deserved to know someone out there was proud of him.

A loud rumbling sound was heard. Dick was actually early for once which shocked Bruce. Did Gotham for once have no traffic in the afternoon? But then again, Dick would probably go over the speed limit, especially for Tim. Sweat was beginning to pour down his neck.

"Hey Leslie I came as soon as I can is everything alright?" Dick said in the other room with a rushed and concern voice.

"Everything is fine Dick, I called you because something important has come up," she said trying to calm his worries.

"What is it?" Dick asked, a little less worried but still nonetheless anxious.

Bruce knew it was his cue. It was now or never. Swallowing hard he opened the door quietly and steeped out into the waiting room, with a very apologetic look on his face.

The look of shock on Dick's face immediately transformed to pure anger and rage.

"What is he doing here?" Dick demanded, taking an aggressive step toward Bruce. "Why did you call me here?"

"I called you because he asked me to," said Leslie, worried that a fight was going to break out in her office.

"Hello Richard," he said in a cold tone.

"Hello Bruce. What is it you want? You going to take Tim away and put him somewhere else so I will not look after him and make you feel guilty for not being there?"

"This isn't about you Dick-"

"No but it is not about you either!" his voice raised louder than ever.

"FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE DICK, PLEASE LISTEN TO ME JUST THIS ONCE! DO NOT JUST POP OFF AND IGNORE WHAT I HAVE TO SAY!" Bruce said even louder while glaring at Dick. Rarely did Bruce scare Dick anymore, but a Bruce that had lost control like this, now that was frightening.

Dick leaned back a little signaling defeat and took a deep breath, still glaring at his mentor. He crossed his arms.

"Fine, what do you want?"

"I came to see Tim," Bruce said with finality.

"What?" said Dick disbelieving. Did he just hear what he thought he heard?

"I came to see Tim. Leslie said he needed me so I am here."

"Why now?" Dick asked suspiciously while his temper was rising up again with his voice. "Why do you care all of a sudden you never did?"

"I did care Dick! I did what I thought I was for the best-"

"O do not give me the whole 'I can't get close because people get hurt' bullshit you spout every time you sabotage your relationships. I am surprised Alfred put up with you all-"

"Do not bring up Alfred in this! This is between you, Tim, and myself! I have realized I have been an idiot and now I am trying to make up for it! I do not deserve redemption for hiding myself from Tim like I have for the past year, but the least I can do is be here for him now."

"What you think you coming here is going to make Tim be magically cured all of a sudden?"

"No. But he still needs me regardless. If I recalled you called me the other day to lecture me on not being there for him because he needed me."

Dick's face flashed with anger. He had got him there.

"Fine. Then what has this to do with me? I am not Tim's legal guardian."

"But you have been to him for the past year. You have been doing a far better job than I ever did. You at least deserve to be aware what I am doing."

Dick stood stun, did Bruce just said he was a better man?

"And also, I had a talk with Zatanna-"

Dick snorted. Bruce glared, and continued on.

"She convinced me that maybe it was not too late to save what I have left as family. Alfred may be gone, Barbara's moved on, but maybe it is not too late for Tim. And maybe, it's not too late, for you and me."

Dick was shocked. Did he get knocked out on patrol last night hard in the head or transported to an alternate universe? Bruce was actually reaching out to him.

"I do not deserve your forgiveness and I can understand if you think it's too late and want nothing to do with me. All I ask is if you can give me one more chance to make things right."

Dick paused, something was wrong.

"Are you dying or something?"

For the first time in awhile Dick saw Bruce chuckle.

"No I decided I am going to fix a few things."

He extended his hand out to shake, Dick however stood firm and defiant.

"You need to talk to Tim first before you get all nice with me."

Bruce sighed.

"I suppose you are right," he said and looked at Leslie.

"Right this way," she led Bruce, with Dick following.

The three adults walked by silently along the hallway, none of them willing to say a word. Leslie knew she was not a family counselor, but by God this family sure needed one. It was going to be a long time. But she knew it was for the best. Tim's best hope of recovery would have been a stable environment. Sure he probably could make it on his own without Bruce, but it would be far less painful if Bruce took responsibility. Tim had enough and did not deserve to suffer anymore.

They approached the last room in the long hallway. It was a private patient room that Leslie would use for patients she did not want the other clinic staff to know about. She slowly approached the door but was stop by Dick.

"I think I should go first. You know prepare him. I think it would be better if I…

"Of course Dick," she said before gently opening the door as Bruce double back a little.

Leslie entered the room. It was painted not white but light blue, it seem more comfortable. Tim was on his bed sitting up. His hair had grown long. After an incident in trying to cut his hair which led to a bad reaction, she decided it was better to let his hair fall. His arms still had multiple scars on them both from the Joker's doing and himself when he was first admitted. It was a miracle to Leslie she was able to get him to stop being suicidal.

He looked up and smile. Thanks to a skilled plastic surgeon and friend of Leslie's they were able to fix up the makeshift grin the Joker created on his face. There was still some scarring, but not as pronounced as the ones over his body. His eyes though, still showed sickness. He may have been smiling, but Leslie knew he was hurting inside. He had been reading a book when they walked in.

"Hey Leslie," Tim said as another look of pain and illness shot thru his face. Perhaps this was not the best time.

"Hey I got a visitor for you today," she said and beckoned Dick to come on in. When Tim noticed Dick was in the room his face immediately lit up in joy, for a moment.

"Dick!" he shouted getting out of bed.

"How are you doing kid?" Dick joked, ruffling Tim's hair.

"I am doing fine. I have been reading again. It helps take my mind off things and helps me…"

Dick saw the pain flash thru Tim's eyes and braced himself.

Tim looked like he was on the verge of an outburst; he was trying so hard to contain the pain. Leslie led him back to the bed.

"Okay Tim, let's get some rest you are going to need it," Leslie said leading Tim back to the bed, praying he would not start lashing out or go comatose.

Tim seemed to calm down for the moment.

"So how's Bludhaven? Anyone given you trouble?"

"No not really, it's been quiet lately. Listen bud, I brought a surprise for you to today," Dick said with an impish grin.

"What is it?" Tim said, his eyes beaming like a little kid waiting for a Christmas present.

Knowing Bruce had probably frozen stiff, Dick stepped outside and saw him there. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed the frozen man and shoved him, not too gently into the room.

For a minute Tim just gave Bruce a blank stare and Bruce was worried that Tim did not recognize him. His head began to chastise him for coming here and it was a mistake, it was just bringing him more pain. But then unexpectedly, Tim smiled big.

Leslie had never seen Tim look so happy since he was admitted. She smiled to herself; she had just caused a big breakthrough.

"Hey Tim," said Bruce quietly. He was never good at tender family moments like this. He rather take on the entire Arkham roster.

"Hey old man," Tim joked and all of a sudden jumped out of bed and charged at Bruce.

For a second Bruce thought Tim was going to attack him and was stumped on how to defend himself without hurting Tim but instead Tim had pulled Bruce in to a hug.

"I have missed you, Dad," he said, tears welling down his eyes.

That was it for Bruce.

He put his arms around Tim, his son and held him tight, to let him know that he was there for him. He did not cry, he was too in control of his emotions to break down, but he was so relieved inside. It felt like an arrow had been yanked out of his heart. He was just holding his son tightly whispering 'I'm sorry' over and over. Finally they broke away.

"Why did you never come?"

Bruce looked away from Tim. Some man he was could not look in his own son's eye.

"I thought it was for the best to protect you and me. It took me a while to realize that it was the opposite. You needed me and I needed you. I am sorry Tim. I know I have been a lousy father to both you and Dick. All I ask is if you can give me a second chance."

Tim placed a hand on his father's shoulder, "You are screwed up Bruce but so am I. We can heal together."

That was what Bruce liked about Tim. He was always exceptionally mature for his age. Living on the streets must have toughened him up.

Another hand placed itself on his shoulder. Bruce looked up to see Dick donning the dopey grin he always wore when talking to Bruce.

"Count me in as well."

The Batclan embraced in an all out family hug. Making up for lost time. It truly was a father and son moment for all of them. For the first time in his life, Bruce really did feel like he had a family. Sure it was not the perfect family, but they still were a family. They all loved and cared for each other to the bitter end.

Leslie watched the tender moment with satisfaction. Thomas and Martha would be so happy to see their son finally admitting he had someone to care for. A pity Alfred was not here to see this, but Leslie had a feeling he was somewhere watching over them smiling. Finally she had to, with great reluctance, break up the family moment and escort Dick and Bruce out.

Although Tim was doing much better, he still needed to heal. He would probably still have the nightmares, but today was a dramatic improvement.

"You did the right thing there Bruce. That meant the world to Tim," Leslie said patting Bruce gently on the shoulder.

"Yeah I gotta admit I can't even be mad at you after that, you stubborn jerk!" Dick joked punching Bruce in the arm.

"How soon can I take Tim home?"

"Well he still needs time. He did drastically make a breakthrough today, but he cannot just check out now. He will probably still need to go to therapy when you take him home routinely and probably will have to be homeschooled or tutored privately for a while because I think he should not experience dramatic changes to environment…"

"When can I take him home?" Bruce demanded.

Leslie smiled, "I would say about three weeks, if you are willing to spend the time taking care of him."

"I'll help," said Dick. "Bludhaven has been quiet lately; I can spend some nights there."

Bruce smiled, a genuine smile. Something he rarely ever did.

"You're not on drugs right now are you?"

"What?" Bruce asked, confused at Dick's accusation.

"I am sorry. I am not used to seeing you-happy. It's weird."

"Well don't get used to it," Bruce replied eyes narrowing into the glare. He better not be going soft.

"And there's the Bat we all know and love!"

Bruce eyes narrowed even more. Maybe it was a mistake to bring Dick back to the manor he thought for a fraction of a second.

His phone went off, interrupting his thoughts. Checking the ID he was surprised it was unknown. Only a few people knew this private number and three out of four of them were in this building.

Walking away from the group to take the call privately he picked it up, deciding to answer it normally and not like a playboy idiot.

"Hello," he replied, making sure his voice was serious and stern. He wanted to make sure who got this number and make sure they regretted it.

"You know you don't scare me!" replied an angry female voice.

"Shayera?" Bruce shouted in shock causing Dick and Leslie to stop talking and look at him momentarily.

For a second Bruce was relieved. For a minute he thought one of his enemies had deduced his identity and got this number or worse. But then how did Shayera get this number?

"Where did you get-"

"Oh come on you know I am not a bad detective myself. Besides like I would tell you!"

"What do you want?" Bruce asked knowing already what she was probably calling about.

"Well since you and I are stuck with this date thing, I think it would be best if we try to get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible."

Bruce sighed, she had a point.

"What do you have in mind?"

"You can do whatever. It can even be low key away from the paparazzi. We both know I do not have the best reputation on earth anyways. I just want to make sure we have a date."

Now that earned an eyebrow cock from Bruce. Shayera and Bruce never really had good chemistry. But knowing her, she was probably using him to make another person jealous. A certain person who was too stubborn to admit what was good for him…

"_Well now you are being a hypocrite with Diana,"_ the voice said through his head. He ignored it like always.

"Alright look how about something casual. There is a Gotham Football Game two weeks from now, you would like that. Afterwards I don't know, we can go to a bar or something."

Shayera was a hard woman to date. She was sometimes a tomboy and liked the more violent and edgy side of life.

"That would be great. For a minute I thought you were gonna get all fancy with me," she joked on the line.

"I will send you the details. O and Shayera?"

"Yes?"

"Do not ever call me on this line again nor give this to any League member or I will make you regret every day you spend the remaining years on earth," Bruce threatened menacingly. He did not want the League to interfere with his personal problems.

"I like to see you try," Shayera responded before hanging up.


	20. A Fourth Date?

Bruce pulled up to the garage with Dick following on his motorcycle. They decided at the clinic that Dick would spend about a month with Bruce to help him get ready to take Tim home because Alfred was not there. Dick would then stay for another month to make sure Tim adjusted to his surroundings. So basically Dick was taking care of both Bruce and Tim, but more of Bruce, or so it felt like.

"Here I got it," Dick took his luggage from the car. He was going to make another trip tomorrow to pick up more of his stuff.

"You can take your old room."

"Aww I wanted the guest one, you know the one that has the real big-"

"No," Bruce said.

"What expecting more company?" Dick teased and went inside. It was like old times again, minus Alfred.

Bruce sighed. He did miss that about Dick, always being the smartass to him. He was never rude or talked back, at least when he was younger. It was a shame they had become estranged. And now they were living together again like nothing ever happened. It is interesting how tragedies can sometimes heal wounds.

A sudden ringing phone in the kitchen interrupted his reverie. Reluctantly he wobbled over to the phone. Usually Alfred would be good at picking up and answering. He was starting to consider hire someone to replace Alfred, but then again no one could replace Alfred.

"Hello," he said with genuine lethargy. He had a long day.

"Now Bruce, I always expected better treatment from you," a cool female voice teased; a voice he knew too well.

"Hello Lois," he said smirking. One thing he loved about Lois was her very straightforwardness and determination. When it came between her and Clark, she wore the pants in that relationship.

"Hello Bruce. You can guess why I am calling I take it."

"Hmm I don't know, probably to interview me and how I won over three women from the Justice League after being reclusive for a whole year?"

"Wow, you still got your detective skills!" she said with mock flattery.

"No, Vikki asked me for one about a few days ago."

"And did you take it?" he heard Lois, trying to mask the distaste in her voice. Lois and Vikki were mortal enemies, which made him smirk. Women and their bitter rivalries with each other.

"I told her I could not in good conscience do it with her because our previous relationship ended on a bad note."

"But if I recall, we ended ours on friendly terms. So when can I interview you."

Bruce laughed, "I can't believe I let you go Lois. This fiancé of yours is a lucky guy."

"Yeah, and so am I," Lois said with what sounded like forced happiness. Ever the master of smooth talk, Bruce Wayne realized he needed to steer this conversation away.

"Well how about this week? We can have lunch at Wayne Restaurant."

"Alright, I will make sure Perry upgrades me to first class though," she teased back before hanging up.

What the hell was he doing? He wanted to keep himself alone and now he was not only allowing Dick to move back in but he was chatting it up with old exes. Soon he would be going to Clark's house for Christmas at the rate he was going.

Half of him wanted to tell Dick to leave but another half was still remembering what Zatanna told him last night. He may be alone and have lost everything, but he still had a chance for a family. It would do his parents justice.

"Who were you talking on the phone?" asked Dick as he descended down the stairs.

"Lois," he muttered trying to hide his embarrassment.

Dick was tempted to tease further but decided not to push his luck. Instead he decided a different route of questioning.

"So is she and Clark you know, married or something?" Dick asked trying to sound casual. Unfortunately Bruce caught on right away.

"What Clark does is none of my business or yours. I do not care what he or the rest of the League do. I am just agreeing to an interview to Lois as a favor to her, nothing more."

"If you say so. So what is the plan on patrol for tonight?" Dick asked cautiously. To get Bruce to open up to Tim took a year, to get Bruce to accept help; now that would take a decade.

"You're not going," Bruce said flatly without even looking at Dick.

"Bruce, I am going whether you like it or not. If I am not going to be able to be at Bludhaven every night I might as well do something else. I can't get too rusty by just sitting around."

"I don't care. Gotham is my city-"

"Bull!" yelled Dick with frustration. Five minutes ago they were all happy together and now they were fighting again. Typical Bruce. But Dick was not going to leave Bruce out of frustration this time. He was not going to let him win.

"I grew up here and have helped patrol Gotham with you all the time. You just do not like the fact that I do not always listen to you anymore."

"The last time I let someone patrol for myself, they were captured by the Joker and tortured for three weeks!" Bruce shouted back, his voice bellowing thru the banter. Immediately the echoing shouts were replaced by an ominous silence. The two men glared back each other neither willing to break down.

Dick, although his facial features and pride would not allow it felt hurt and guilt. All this time it was easy to call Bruce a coward and a control freak to explain his isolation from anyone. But seeing the man he grew up to respect, love, and hate at the same time feel so much guilt and pain, made Dick feel like an ass. Bruce's heart was in the right place however ill guided it was.

"Bruce I understand you blame yourself what happened but you cannot always put the blame to make the tragedies of your life easier. I will compromise here. I will cover the south end while I am here. It usually petty crimes anyways. I will leave the rest of Gotham to you. Please just let me be able to get out. You of all people should know I do not like being cooped up."

For a minute Dick thought Bruce was going to ignore him but instead Bruce sighed and his gaze soften, even if only very slightly.

"Fine, but you take the batpod. Batmobile fuel is more expensive these days," Bruce said dryly before exiting the room.

Dick sighed. It would be foolish to think things would be the same. Bruce might accept he could have a family, but he was still a loner. It was going to take more than he and Tim to get him to come out under the rock.

"Maybe Shayera will beat him out from it," Dick muttered to himself before going back to his room to catch a few hours of sleep before patrol.


	21. Monday Meetings

Diana sighed an angrily in her embassy office. She already had enough to deal with going to pointless UN meetings to hear petty bureaucratic squabbles, but Thermyscara needed to appear or it would look bad. Still she really wished she was back in Tartarus fighting Hades than having to deal with the personal backstabbing clash with the monotonous drabble she had been facing all week.

To top it off, she still had no clue what mission the gods had given her. Both Mr. Terrific and the Question could not figure anything out. The Question promised to do more research but she knew it was hopeless. The Question was good at finding conspiracy related stuff, not some divine war or apocalypse.

She almost guiltily wished a disaster would break out given her an excuse to leave her office and let her work out her frustrations. The training room still had not been replaced yet and Shayera kept taking all the equipment leaving with her no chance of expressing her outrage. She also had a feeling that Kal or J'onn had made sure to not task her on any missions. They were afraid she was going to lose her temper.

Diana almost crumbled the worthless report she was reading in her fist. She was tired of people treating her like some little girl. Sure she was new and innocent to Man's World when she first came, but that was years ago. She had learned and moved on, why couldn't they see that? It was almost as bad as Bruce sometimes.

How he would always rush to her aid whenever she was hurt. At first she was a little annoyed but thought it was sweet. Then she started loving it that she was able to get such a proud man to show so much concern and care. Now it annoyed her. Looking back it made her angry, for all she knew, Bruce was just doing it because he thought less of her.

She was a warrior not some damsel in distress that needed a knight to save her like those stereotypical patriarchal stories. But of course Bruce was always arrogant like that. The condescending wicked man who would belittle everybody. He never trusted anyone and could see the flaws of anyone but himself. Maybe the reason why he abandoned the League was because he felt they were too flawed for him…

Immediately she felt guilt with herself. No she knew Bruce was secretly hurting, whatever reason he had for forcing himself into isolation. But their friendship was beyond saving now. He rejected her help and her heart, the best thing she could do was move on. It was a shame she still had to do this date with him. Hopefully he would back out like he always did or it would be cut short and she could finally move on.

Deciding she could not get much work done at the embassy anymore she decided to go out for a walk. Her hair was tied up and she was in a professional business suit. All she needed were her fake glasses and she could blend right back into the public without attracting attention. It was amazing how oblivious some people could be.

Walking outside she decided to head to a little Italian restraint she was fond of. Normally she preferred Greek food, but this small restaurant had its charm. Besides, it was dimly lit so she would not get man guys gawking at her. She approached the matre' de who immediately recognized her.

"Ah Ms. Prince. I take it the usual table?"

"Yes. That would be nice."

A waiter came and led her to her favorite spot in the corner. Whenever she was in public for personal things she often went by the name Diana Prince. Bruce and Kal helped create it for her after the Thanargarian invasion when they realized that it would be good for Diana to have her own personal life outside the League. She enjoyed it actually. It allowed her to be herself without people looking up to her and already having preconceived notions without even knowing her.

She was too engrossed in the menu she did not notice a woman with a firm athletic build come to her booth and sit across from her. Something about the stranger seemed very feline and sneaky, like someone who could disappear when you were not looking. She had sharp green eyes that seem to be burrowing holes into Diana. But Diana was not intimidated.

"Can I help you?" Diana said in an attempt of nonchalance. She really did not want this woman finding out she was Diana of Thermyscara.

"Cut the crap, I know you are the Amazon Princess."

Diana closed her eyes and sighed. So much for privacy.

"Please can you keep it down? I really do not want the attention."

"All evidence to the contrary," the stranger shot back.

"Excuse me?" Diana asked trying to keep that vicious temper of hers down. For some reason she had an immediate dislike towards this woman.

"Do you know who I am?"

Diana studied her. She had an excellent memory and she never once recalled seeing this woman, but something about her seem familiar.

"No I am sorry. Perhaps you can enlighten me," Diana shot back while giving the woman an icy glare.

"We had a mutual friend in Gotham. I am Selina Kyle."

Immediately Diana knew why she despised this stranger. She always heard about the game of Catwoman and Batman. It sometimes made her a little jealous that Batman would not accept her when she was always there for him while he chased around this jewel thief who kept teasing him.

"Well I do not know when the last time you check, but Batman and I do not have any contact anymore-"

"Bull. He bought you at a date auction!" Selina hissed. For a minute Diana thought she was going to claw her face. It was like fighting Cheetah.

"Well you do not have all the facts. Bruce was sort of tricked into doing it. Believe me; neither of us want anything to do with each other anymore. That ship has set sail. He is all yours," Diana said quietly getting up to leave. She did not have to take this.

"He does not want me," Selina said, showing a little hurt behind her aggressive demeanor.

That startled Diana. Curiosity got the better of her and she decided to sit back down. This woman may be evil, but she was still a woman. Diana knew what it was like to have a heart broken by Batman.

"I am sorry," she said trying to show some sympathy.

"Don't be. I have seen him the past year. His heart is not in it anymore. Whatever happened to him has made him gone colder and more isolated."

"He has rejected love. It took me a while to accept it. We just have to move on."

"You do not understand. I can move on. I am here to visit my fiancé. I got engaged last week. We are moving to the West Coast next week. What hurts me is he needs to know how to love. As much as I have moved on, I still care for him," Selina opened up, tears began to swell in her eyes.

Diana decided her pride was no longer worth it and grasped the woman who she was thinking about hitting earlier by the hands to offer comfort. Selina continued on.

"And I know a part of him will always love me. We have had a special history together that no one can understand. But I need to move on. I need someone I know who will always love me back. Bruce can't do it. As much as it breaks my heart, I cannot be with him any longer."

Sighing Diana attempted to offer some counsel, "Sometimes we do all we can for the people we care for and they still won't change. All we can do is move on."

"You do not understand. I gave up because I knew I could not change him anymore. I could not get him to feel love again. But you can. That is why I am here. I am sorry I came off as aggressive to you at first because some jealously in me flared up."

This revelation had caused Diana to freeze. Here was Catwoman, Batman's own primary love interest, telling her that she, not Catwoman was the one who could get Bruce to love.

"You got the wrong one. Our ship has already set-"

"It has not. Bruce may have given up. But it is not over for you two yet. There is still a chance for you. If there is anyone who could maybe save him from himself it's you."

"I do not know how-"

"For Christ's sake! You are being forced to date him soon. Use that opportunity to confront him finally about his feelings! I had given up hope for him but then when I heard he was supposed to go on a date with you I realized there was still a chance he could learn to be happy! I will admit my first reaction was jealousy and hurt. But now I have realized that there is a chance for the poor man to have a happy ending."

"I do not know what you expect from me. I cannot promise anything-"

"Just promise me you will try to reach his heart. I do love him, but I rather see him finally happy than live the rest of his life broken and alone. If you cannot do it for him, then do it for yourself."

And before Diana could respond, the woman got up and darted out of the restaurant leaving Diana in stunned silence until the waiter came finally to take her order. She was not even sure what she ordered. The recent events had left her lost in her own thoughts. Here was Catwoman, the primary lover of Batman telling her, the Princess of the Amazons, that Batman could only be happy with herself, not Catwoman.

If the woman who loved Bruce that much saw a chance for Bruce to find happiness, was it possible? Or was it too late for that? She had moved on and so did Bruce. But Selina had a point, there was still that date they had been mandated to do together. Was there still hope? Stranger things had happened before. If only there was someone she could talk to. With Shayera and her fighting and Zatanna barely on speaking terms, her list of people to consult were thin. Maybe she needed to talk not to a woman but someone she could confide in and then she had her answer; J'onn.

Zatanna changed in her dressing room humming to herself. Tonight had been one of the best shows she had ever performed. Grant it there was a lot more audience attendance today because of all the publicity surrounding her date with Bruce last Friday, but still se put on one damn good show. Too bad it was Monday so there would be no evening show, she was gaining momentum.

She exited the theater to find herself facing a large amount of roses being held by a blonde man with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Mike!" she cried, feeling guilty she forgot about their next date.

"Hey Z! I saw the show tonight, I thought maybe you would like to go somewhere fun as a reward," he said with all sincerity handing her the roses, they smelled nice

"What, you think you can compete with Bruce Wayne?" she said challengingly. Mike grin back.

"What I have in mind might be more causal than those rich folk types, but I can guarantee you will not be disappointed."

"Well in that case I better change."

"It's alright I will wait out here."

"I have something much quicker in mind."

And before Mike could ask, Zatanna was in a t-shirt and jeans.

"I forgot you can do that."

She wrapped her arm around his. She was originally planning to let him in that she knew his secret, but she decided she could handle one more night of fun with him.

"Sooo, where is this super fun place?" she said, hoping she was not going over the top in her performance. She was going to enjoy seeing the look on his face when she spilled the beans tonight.

"Trust me, you're gonna like it babe. I tell you what. I will pay for dinner if you do not have a good time."

"Deal," she said laughing.

They approached his car which was an old truck, a little dirty on the outside but the inside was pretty clean and smelled nice.

"Sorry haven't gotten the chance to get this washed," he explained a little embarrassed.

Zatanna smirked at his discomfort. He was really cute when he was embarrassed. She was not really paying attention when he drove which was why she did not realize they had stopped at their intended destination.

When she saw what he had picked, she groaned inwardly. They were in Gotham City Zoo.

"_Figures,"_ she thought to herself as Mike escorted her out excitedly, oblivious to her sudden drop of flirtatious mood. She was not really looking forward to see him talk to animals like Dr. Doolittle. She quickly though dropped her disappointment to give him a coy, questioning look.

"Trust me, you will have a great time. Like I said, if you do not like it I will pay for your dinner," he challenged.

Zatanna smiled at his challenge and got out of the truck.

"Well I am in the mood for some Italian, let's go," and she walked to the entrance forcing Mike having to speed up to catch her.

It turns out Mike was still wrong. She did not have a great time, she had an amazing time. The sorceress was shocked at how much fun Mike was when he was among animals. When they went to the tiger pit, the tigers began to all stand on their hind legs and do a little dance. The howler monkeys did their best to wail out the rhythm to a Celine Dion song. Even an elephant came and patted her on the shoulder and shook her hand with its trunk.

The whole time she also enjoyed pretending to be amazed like the rest of the people at how the animals were all suddenly acting out of character.

"Wow it's almost like they are doing it just for me!" she said in mock surprise and smirked to herself when she saw Mike look the other way trying to hide his beaming smile.

They ended up at this little Italian restaurant that was a few blocks from the zoo. She was having a great time with Mike still. He made her laugh and gave her the attention she always desired from Bruce. She felt like she was the only girl in the world when Mike was around. He made her feel special. And that was why she realized it was not about messing with him anymore. She was going to keep seeing Mike because she liked him. She looked forward to when he would finally let her know about his double life.

Mike had gotten his wallet out.

"You do not need to pay for me Mike. I had an amazing time!"

Mike smiled but quickly put on a guilty frown.

"I know. I got something to tell you though, and I figure the least I could do is pay for dinner."

"What is it?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

Mike sighed, "I have not been honest with you Zana. I have met you before."

"What do you mean? I would remember meeting a great guy like you!" she said with a little exaggerated shock.

Mike's face looked more sheepish by the second.

"Alright. I was planning on telling you later but having such a fun time with you tonight, I feel guilty if I keep lying to you. Look I am…I am…" he took a deep breath and shuddered. Here it goes.

"Look it's me, B'wanna Beast. I wanted to ask you out for a while but you always were so distant with me. I thought I decided I would try to meet you in my civilian identity so I could get another chance to start over with you. But now I realized I cannot keep lying to you anymore. I am sorry for that and I can understand if you do not want to see me anymore," he said very fast without taking a breath.

When he finished he quickly broke eye contact with her to look the other way in shame.

Zatanna smiled. He was sweet and she was keeping him now. She extended a hand and grasped his. Immediately Mike's face darted forward, eyes showing surprise by this display of affection.

"Mike," she said softly, "I already knew."

"Wha-? How? Why did you not say anything?"

Now it was Zatanna's turn to show a little guilt, "Well I was amused by your attempt at chivalry so I thought you deserved a little reward. I then decided it would be amusing to play along like I did not recognize you. But I have come to a realization as well. I actually enjoy your company and I want to keep seeing you."

Mike froze at the statement. An explosion could have happened right behind him and he would not be fazed. Zatanna snapped her fingers in his face to get his attention.

"Hey, I am right here."

Mike was brought back to earth, "Sorry babe. I just cannot realize that I did it."

"Did what?"

"Get you to like me."

"I said I enjoyed your company I did not say I liked you," she bantered back with humor.

"Close enough," Mike said and before the new couple knew it, they had leaned in and had their lips locked to each other. It was not a long passionate kiss but it was not short friendly peck either. It was just right, the first kiss to a new relationship.

Mike got up and began to escort Zatanna by the arm back to his truck, excited for the new future he had opened to himself.


	22. Revelations

Bruce checked his watch impatiently as he sat at the restaurant waiting for the Daily Planet's most infamous reporter. It was out of character for Lois to be late to a big story like this. But then again he had not really interacted with her in a long time. Plus it was Wednesday Lunch hour, traffic at Gotham was atrocious at this time.

"Bruce," said a cool voice from behind. Bruce smirked and turned around to find himself face to face with a woman in jet black hair and violet eyes.

"Lois. Looking stunning as ever!" he said and got up to kiss her hand and escort her to her seat.

"Flattery will get you nowhere Mr. Wayne. I intend to ask all the tough questions.

Bruce sat down still with the idiotic grin plastered on his face. "Really? Well showing up late will get you nowhere either."

"I thought it was custom for billionaires to show up fashionably late," she retorted with a sly grin on her face.

Bruce smirked as a waiter came and took their orders. Lois pulled out a tape recorder and had her pen and paper ready. Bruce looked at her amused.

"Tape recorder and hand written notes? My are we a little over prepared?"

"The tape recorder is for back up. In case I miss something or you talk too fast. Besides," she continued placing the pad down on the table with the pen. "I want to eat first and then we will talk."

"Why do I get the feeling you could easily do this over the phone but decided to do it to get a free meal at a high class restaurant?"

"That would be unethical," she grinned wickedly. "But I also came here for other things as well…"

Bruce leaned in, this was getting interesting.

"Like what?"

"Not now, let us talk as old friends."

Pretty soon their meals had arrived and the two ate them quietly. Neither willing to engage in conversation again until finally Lois wiped her face with a napkin and turn her recorder on, pen and paper ready.

"So let's begin," she said.

Bruce gave the usual rehearsed answers he gave to the paparazzi about how he first met Wonder Woman in Paris and already had known Zatanna for a while. He of course added more detail and false stories as well knowing that even though Lois would not believe him, it would allow her to publish a juicy article.

After Bruce finished the interview his eyes darted narrow and glared at Lois.

"Now it is my turn to ask the questions. Why are you really here? Soft news is not your style. And don't say Perry made you do it. If I knew you better, I would say you secretly wanted to talk to me because you are curious. Am I right?"

Lois neither blinked nor flinch at the icy glare she was given. Instead, without breaking the staring contest, grabbed her tape recorder and turned it off and smirked.

"What can I say? I wanted to hear some more off the record stuff."

Bruce's interrogative face changed into idiotic confusion.

"What are you talking about I told you-"

"Don't give me the BS Bruce. I came here under the pretense as a reporter. But I really am here as a friend, ex-girlfriend, or whatever I am to you now. Talk to me."

It was not a question. Bruce sighed. Anyone else he would have continued acting idiotically or turn into the Bat and scare them away but not Lois. Despite only briefly dating, she was still special to him.

"My secretary was an idiot and convinced me to go. I had no idea she had conspired with Zatanna to make me jealous. I was showing up late so I told her to buy the last item up for bid. I did not know I was buying three metas."

"Really? What amazes me more is you decided to keep this up…"

"I have no choice. I need to keep up this playboy image."

"And it seems such a burden to you does it," she let slipped out before immediately realizing her mistake. Bruce had a vein pulsing in his forehead, never did Lois ever see him so livid. At least without his mask.

He dropped his voice to a menacing whisper, "Do you know what is like having to put up with the vain, shallow and empty headed idiots of Gotham's elite? Or that I cannot ever find a stable relationship in my personal life because every woman deemed fit to date Bruce Wayne is some shallow silicon-filled bimbo or celebrity who is after two things, attention and money?"

Lois smiled, sensing a week point to attack, "See I always knew you were romantic at heart. Admit it! A part of you does want someone special to love!"

Bruce was caught off guard by the retort, but only momentarily. He broke eye contact to look out the window.

"I have long given up that. When I was younger I thought it could be possible. But then reality hit me in the face. I am always meant to be a bachelor."

"That's not true Bruce. You are really the sweetest, most emotionally damaged man I have ever meant."

Bruce smirked at the comment, "Let me ask you something Lois. Do you love him?"

Lois eyes flashed in anger, he was crossing the line while she was just toying with it.

"I do not know who-"

"Don't give me B.S. Do you love Clark?"

"Does it matter?"

Bruce eyed her suspiciously, "To me no. I am no longer friends with Clark-"

"That is not true he loves you and so does the rest of the League. You just are too blind to see it?"

"Says the woman who should be with Superman."

Lois was on the verge of grabbing her glass of wine and pouring it on Bruce, but she decided she was going to be the better person this time and not give in.

"Clark and I have made our choices. He was not ready to commit and we both moved on. We are both happy."

"If you say so."

"Bruce I am a woman but not a superhero. I cannot wait until to Kingdom Come for Superman to finally settle down with me. Gary at least can provide me with something-"

"So you settled? That seems very unlike you."

"Hey no one can beat Superman in a lot of things. But at least Gary shows he is willing to commit, unlike Clark who will not tell me his secret identity even though he says he loves me. Sure Perry does not like him but who cares? I thought you would agree we have the right to do what we want without being judged."

"I am not judging you. I am just curious."

Lois decided it was time to get her revenge, "Besides, I heard Clark and Diana are an item nowadays…"

That earned a cough from Bruce as he sipped his wine. Lois smiled at the little reaction she got out of him. Meanwhile Bruce was screaming stupid, idiot and all other kinds of insults in his head for showing weakness.

"Now it is my turn to ask you something Bruce, do you love Diana?"

"I have said this before, there is nothing to discuss…"

"Yes or no?" Lois asked. She never backed down from a question, even from Bruce Wayne.

Bruce sighed and resumed his vigil looking out the window. She noticed he did that when he was really uncomfortable.

"It is not a question whether I love her or not. It is a question whether I will allow it. Everyone I have loved eventually got hurt, especially the special women in my life. They all go away in the end. It is for the best of both us. I will not torture both of us by dragging us into a hopeless dream-"

"Anything is possible, Bruce, you just got to believe it."

"Is it?" he turned to face her again giving her a piercing stare.

Lois sighed, "Alright I will admit both our personal lives are a mess. Is it wrong for me to try to help someone else out since I cannot fix mine?"

"No it is not. I guess both of us are unfixable."

On impulse Lois reached out and grabbed his hand. They both just stared at each other silently. It seemed unlikely but both understood each other. Only one another could understand the pain to push those that love you away. That was one thing Bruce liked about Lois, she seem to understand him more than anyone else.

Lois checked at her watch and got up.

"I am sorry Bruce I must be going now. I have another story to investigate…"

Bruce was still gripping her hand looking at her.

"Lois, take my advice, do what makes you happy. Do not make my mistakes until you are bitter and alone and beyond hope for love."

Lois wanted to say something but before she could get her brain working again by a sudden gesture from Bruce, the man had put on the idiotic grin and started talking to her loudly.

"Well Ms. Lane I must say it was a pleasure as always!" he said getting up and kissing her on the cheek. She decided to play along.

"Of course Mr. Wayne, of course. We must do this again. Until then…" and with that she exited while blowing a kiss at the fake grinning man and exited back out into the gritty streets of Gotham.

Unnoticed to either party, a man with a ridiculous large moustache and shades was standing outside the restaurant listening to every word of the conversation. Clark's heart had stopped dead. She knew he was Superman all this time? Why did she not say anything?

He then was tempted to bang his head on the wall when she said all she wanted was a little commitment. Wasn't saving her on a daily basis a commitment enough? Meanwhile it was frustrating not to be able to hear what Bruce was saying. Clark had the feeling Bruce must have always had a device with him that must have emitted a frequency that made it impossible with people with super hearing to hear him talk from far away. The man was still paranoid.

Clark's heart sank when she said she was happy with Gary though. But she did not say she loved him. Did he still have a chance? One thing was for certain, the chips were down. He needed to come clean once and for all. He never wanted to tell Lois his identity because he was afraid she would reject him. Sure he was upset that she loved Superman which he considered his mask, but he was so head over heels for he did not care if he only loved part of him. But now there was the possibility that she did love Clark Kent since she knew all along. The real question as, would she take him back.

One thing was for certain, he was not going to make the mistakes of his former friend Bruce and miss out on the opportunity for love. Lois was going to be receiving special visit from Superman when she got back in Metropolis the next couple of days.

Diana went down the halls, heels clicking with a faint echo due to the Watchtower being mostly empty. Everyone was back down on earth helping evacuate a national disaster. She was on her way to see J'onn, who she did not get a chance to talk to after Monday's Meeting because of an UN emergency, when she passed the Monitor Womb.

"Hey Holt," she said to a bored Mister Terrific who was supervising the evacuation from many different angles.

"Hey Diana."

"Have you been able to find anything?" she asked hopefully.

"About our secret doomsday prophecy? No. I examined both devices you gave us and they do seem ordinary, nothing special about them. Etrigan took a look at it and could not detect anything magic on the surface so there is that. He did mention how the staff seems to feel Egyptian not Greek but I will leave it to him."

"What about the Question?"

Holt rubbed his sinuses showing his frustration, "You know how he is. He is good at making connections and finding links that none of us can see due to his conspiracy theories, but the fact he is so wound up in those theories he goes off tangents. His latest theory is the Illuminati are involved again. Hopefully he finds a meaningful connection soon."

"It's alright Holt, you two are doing your best, and we appreciate it."

"Thanks Diana."

Diana then remembered her original purpose, "Do you happen to know where J'onn is?"

"He is in the medical room brushing up. It has been awhile since he has helped out there."

Diana politely thanked Holt and made her way to the medical bay to find the Green Martian playing with the latest laser scanner.

"Fantastic," he was muttering to himself as the computer gave an entire profile of his own body position.

"Looks like someone is having fun with their toys," Diana joked heartedly.

The Martian looked at Diana and beamed.

"Diana, we have not talked in a while!"

"I know J'onn it has been a while."

"What's wrong?" J'onn asked skipping formalities.

"I-wait did you read my mind?"

J'onn put a defensive hand up, "No of course not. I just could tell by your facial expressions and what you have been going thru, you would eventually come talk to me."

Diana smirked, "You would make a good detective as well."

J'onn smirked at her joke and led her back to his room. He got out a bag of Oreos and started playing some classical music on the radio.

"Oreos and classical music? Interesting combo," Diana observed.

J'onn just kept smiling and took a seat opposite to her. "So what is bothering you?"

"I do not know, a lot. Like how Shayera and myself our fighting, I am given a mission by the gods and have no clue, I have been stuck in a date auction with the man I absolutely despise and to top it all off, one of his exes comes to me and tells me I am good for him."

J'onn choked on an Oreo at that remark. Diana did not know Martians could choke.

"I am sorry, but what?"

"Catwoman came to me the other day at the restaurant. I thought she wanted to fight me but she told me that I was probably Bruce's last chance to be happy."

"Do you believe her?" J'onn asked giving her his usual creepy blank stare.

"It does not matter. I do not think he wants anything from me."

J'onn pulled his seat closer and brought his head to Diana.

"You are wrong Diana, quite wrong."

"I thought you said you do not read minds without permission?"

"I do not usually. But when a person is in a very agitated state I can read glimpses of them. Feel them even. It is like hearing someone shouting. It does not matter whether or not you want to listen, if you are close enough you can hear it."

"Then how do you survive in battle?"

"I have enough experience I can tune it out, but do you remember our first mission in Gorilla City?"

"Yeah I got buried under a missile."

J'onn gave her an unbelieving look and she relented.

"And yes I kissed Batman on the cheek because I thought it was sweet how he tried to pull me out."

"Well I was there. And I will admit I did not bother to try to read your mind to see if you were alive because I like the rest thought you had perished and also was distracted."

"By what?"

"By the emotional state of Batman's mind when he was trying to dig you out. Normally he is the calmest in his emotions but I never once heard his mind so loud and clear, so frantic. It was giving me a headache. It was like reading the mind of a mad man. No direction or purpose, just pure instinct."

"So what does that mean?"

"I do not know, but think about it. If the thought of you in danger is enough to make Batman even lose control of his own mental being, do you still think he wants nothing with you?"

Diana remained silent to that remark. J'onn was right. As much as she hated Batman and did not want anything to do with him anymore, she could not deny she knew they had some sort of special bond.

"I have a theory about Batman. I feel like the thought of losing you terrifies him so much he will not allow himself to be close to you…"

"But he gets close to Selina, Talia and a bunch of other women!" Diana replied angrily.

J'onn lifted another defensive hand to calm her down.

"But those women are already damaged. In a way he falls for them because they are like him. He feels he cannot break something that is already broken. But you, you are different. It is almost like he will not allow himself to love you. Whether it is because he is afraid to lose you or that he will damage you I cannot say. All I have to say is that Batman's feelings for you are so strong that he decides not to express them because he has such strong feelings for you if that makes sense."

Diana was trying to replay what J'onn had said. Basically Bruce loved, or at least liked her enough that he could not allow himself to express it due to that love and respect he had for her. That did not make much sense but then again, a lot stuff Bruce did not make sense.

"What do you suggest I do?"

"That is for you to decide. I can offer though some advice is use this date as the final bridge. If he accepts you then it is up to you decide whether you want to be with him, if he rejects you, move on."

She still felt unsure but was glad that at least J'onn was not judging her for her actions. He and Wally were being the best friends she had during this crisis. She got up to hug the Martian which startled him.

"Thank you J'onn, I needed that. You and Wally have been so good to me, how can I repay you?"

J'onn was tempted to ask her to fix her relationship with Shayera but decided better of it. It was time to be more subtle, "Just be yourself. The loving person who can make anyone smile around here."

Diana smiled and exited the room feeling a lot better for the first time in a while.

J'onn meanwhile continued to munch on his Oreos while listening to Mozart.

"_I am starting to enjoy these startling hugs,"_ he thought to himself, enjoying the rest of his day.


	23. More Conspiracies

**For the anonymous troller: People put Batman and Wonder Woman together because they like the pairing. Don't like it, don't read it. I don't mind getting a bad review, but I do mind people abusing the review section to just say their opinions without saying anything about my story. The review section is for your opinion on the **_**story**_**, not your opinion on a topic in general. If you want to say my story sucks, go ahead, I won't delete the comment. Just don't waste my time spamming the review section.**

Bruce pulled up in the driveway feeling a little more angry than necessary and slammed the door. He was losing his edge. He could not afford to let his guard down in front of anyone including Shayera and Diana. It was distracting him from his mission.

"_What mission? Admit it you are in a rut with no end in sight. Maybe that is the universe's way to tell you to be happy."_

Ignoring the telltale voice in his head he walked into the manor to find Dick in the kitchen on the phone ordering a pizza.

"Bad day?" he joked noticing Bruce's angry glare.

Bruce ignored him and put his briefcase on the chair while taking off his coat.

"So how did your 'interview' go?" Dick teased, enjoying Bruce's apparent discomfort.

"Fine," Bruce muttered and quickly left to head down to the cave to change.

"Hey Bruce wait! I ordered a pizza for us it should be getting here in an hour, do you want any-"

"No!" Bruce shouted back, he was already descending the cave steps. Dick sighed and went to chase after his mentor.

Bruce was already at the computer looking over some files when he realized something was up.

"If you are trying to bring up the Scarecrow's new toxin, it's under the C section of files," Dick explained nonchalantly.

Bruce immediately turned to glare at Dick, "You reorganized my files?"

"Technically they were not that organized to begin with so I thought I would help out. What happened Bruce? You used to be so good on organization and diligence-"

Bruce got up and stomped to the training room, completely ignoring Dick.

"O I see, the silent treatment! How mature!"

Bruce ignored his protégé and began to change into workout clothes and start to pound a punching bag. Dick seemed to have given up and went back up the manor. God Dick was right, he was really acting like a child sometimes.

He was in the middle of another workout when his private phone rang. Having a inking of a feeling he knew who it was he picked it up.

"Yes?" he said trying to hide his annoyance.

"Hey for this football game what should I-"

"Just jeans and a T-shirt. You might want to bring a jacket in case it gets cold," he said very fast in hopes he could hang up quick. Unfortunately Shayera managed to get a few more words in.

"You might want to let the press know. They are already confused why you have not mentioned what you are doing with me or her-"

"I already did an interview thank you!" he shouted and hanged up before Shayera could get the last word.

He had a feeling she was just using that to antagonize him. She had been on earth long enough to know what it was appropriate to wear at a sporting event. He renewed his attack on the punching bag. Using every strength he could muster.

Not far away Dick watched giggling to himself over the phone with someone.

"See I told you so it would make him madder!"

"You are such an ass!" Shayera cried on the other line laughing.

"Hey he needs someone to stick it to him sometimes! Zatanna was too nice to him!"

"But if it was not for her he probably would never have reached out to you!" Shayera pointed out.

Dick nodded his head in acceptance to that argument, "Yes but that was just for the Batclan, to get Bruce to realize he still has friends, that is going to take a little more button pushing."

Shayera snickered at that remark, "Do not worry. If he gets so headstrong I will personally use my mace to beat his head put of his ass!"

"Just do not do it if I am not there! I want to see it!"

Shayera laughed on the other line and told Dick she had to go and hanged up. Dick still watched his mentor, laughing at how uptight he was right now.

He decided he needed to make one more call.

The line was ringing and he for a minute was going to hang up but a tired female voice answered it.

"Hello?" said the all too familiar voice to Dick.

"Hey Babs, it's me." Dick said, not sure how one would greet a woman he had not talked to in over a year.

For a while there was complete silence on the other line and Dick thought she may have hanged up but that was shot down when he heard her voice again.

"What do you want Richard?" She was still angry at him as well as Bruce, she was using his full name now.

"I was just calling to see how things we-"

"Things are going well. Thank you for your consideration!" she responded fast without event taking a breath.

"Wait do not hang up! Listen I am in the batcave right now!"

That captured her attention. Barbara went silent again, a little stun by the remark.

"What happened is everything alright?" she asked, trying to mask the concern in her voice.

"It is. Look I do not know what exactly happened but Bruce got sucked in to a date auction with-"

"Yes I saw it on the news. That hypocrite! Kicks us out of the manor and cuts ties with the League but then starts dating three of them?" Barbara said angrily. Dick could detect a little jealousy in her. He would normally feel jealous about her attraction to Bruce but not anymore. He was over her and moved on. That did not mean he still considered her as a friend.

"If it's any consolation. He was tricked into it by accident," he could not believe he out of all people was defending Bruce. "Long story. Well basically he went with Zatanna first and she somehow got some sense into his head that he needed to see Tim and me again at least."

"Wait Bruce saw Tim?" Barbara asked shocked.

"Yeah. It has helped Tim's healing a lot. In fact in two weeks Tim's going to move back in to the manor. That is why I am staying here, to help Bruce get adjusted to Tim. You know he is not good at taking care of the manor after Alfred di-passed away."

It still hurt for both of them to mention Alfred's death. If there was one member in the batclan everybody loved it was him.

"I still do not see why you want with me," said Barbara, steering the subject about Alfred away.

"Well like it or not. You were part of the batclan and still are. I think you deserve a right to at least be a part of this-this family."

"Dick," Barbara sighed, "We been thru this before. I already have a new boyfriend. We both realized our thing was just a fling-"

"You are still my friend though! Besides it would mean the world to Tim if you came as well."

Barbara sighed on the other line, "I do not see how you can convince Bruce though-"

"I have an idea. You know Bruce has season tickets to the Gotham Rogues Football game?"

"Yea he has four but he rarely goes to them anymore he just gives them to clients."

"Yea well for his date with Hawkgirl he is taking her to the football game. He also invited me to make sure he does not do anything stupid. He said I could bring someone else. He's hoping I bring some random girl who does not know his secret identity so Shayera cannot confront him on his issues with the League but-"

"If someone who already knows his secret identity is there, he has no more defenses. I see your point. When is the game?" she was excited. She did like Bruce but once and a while he needed a good ole' slap in the face.

Dick chuckled at his new conspirator.

"Not this Sunday but the Sunday after."

"I will be there and Dick?"

"Yea?"

"Thank you. For being the grown up one here."

Dick laughed and hanged up his cell phone. It was funny how he was being the only mature adult in the batclan right now. He was too engrossed with his laughing he did not notice that Bruce had just appeared behind him.

"What's so funny?" asked a suspicious and sweating Bruce. He had given up his assault on the punching bag.

"Nothing, just talking to my date," Dick responded, he was not technically lying.

Bruce eyed him suspiciously but ignored the issue and headed up the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to get some sleep!" Bruce muttered before exiting out of the cave, leaving Dick alone.


	24. A Modest Proposal

**Heads up this is strongly SM/LL so if you for some reason strongly hate the pairing, skip ahead.**

Lois sighed to herself as she entered her apartment. The lead she was chasing in Gotham turned out to be a dead end. What a waste of her week. At least she had a nice lunch with Bruce though. She looked at the clock and realized it was midnight. It was now Sunday morning, meaning she would have only one day off before she got back into her busy career at the Daily Planet. But as Perry always said, the Planet never misses an issue.

She took a much desire shower and put on her a violet robe that matched her eyes. She then made herself some tea and took a seat while checking her phone messages. Nothing out of the ordinary. Perry usually reminding her about deadlines before realizing she was out of town, Gary calling her to tell he loved her. It was the last one that got her attention. It was Clark.

Smallville never called her and left a message. If she did not pick up he was too chicken to leave a voicemail. It always peeved and amused her. The mighty Last Son of Krypton cannot leave a message for a female. Clark's own cowardice with her was one of the reasons why she could not be with him. He needed to show he was not afraid to commit to a relationship with her.

Well now Clark was calling. He sounded a little exasperated. From what she gathered he needed to talk to her soon. Deciding it was worth to see what was so urgent, Lois called his cell phone.

She smirked to herself when a hurried voice immediately answered after the first ring. The farm boy must have been staring at his cell phone the whole time, waiting for her to call back.

"Hello?"

"Hey Smallville, what is so urgent it could not make it until Monday?"

She heard Clark take a deep breath on the other line before he began, "I need to talk to you! It is important!"

"What is it?" asked Lois dropping the teasing. Clark was never this worried.

"It's important! Look I cannot do this over the phone with you. Can I come talk to you at your place?"

Lois hesitated but thought better of it. "Sure. Just get over here as fast as you can."

Within five minutes she heard a buzzing and heard Clark announced he was outside the building. She buzzed him in laughing. Whatever it was that was so urgent, made Clark forget that Superman, not Clark Kent, could reach her apartment in the span of five minutes. In the back of her mind a small sliver of hope was growing in her. Maybe after all this time Clark was going to come clean and open himself to her.

Immediately she shot that thought down. She had her heart disappointed too many times before to know better. Clark probably found some urgent story and wanted to tell her. There was a nervous knock on the door and Lois, denying her anticipating heart, slowly walked up to it and opened it to find a twitching Clark.

"Smallville? Is everything alright?"

"Yes. Uh-may I come in?" he asked not making eye contact with her.

Half scared, Lois let him in as Clark hurriedly stepped inside.

"What is this about?" she asked, trying to mask her suspicious tone. She had a feeling where this was going.

"Lois, I need to tell you something. Something I have been lying for a long time?"

"O really?" Lois asked pretending to be in anticipation. Her brain was telling her this was not going to go where she thought it was going but her heart was pounding, ignoring her logic.

Clark took a deep breath, she never seen him so scared. After that he took off his glasses and his fedora and before Lois blinked there was Superman standing there nervous in her apartment.

"What the he-"

"Do not act surprise Lois. I found out you knew all along!" Superman said, still looking like the insecure Kent.

"What? You knew all this time you basturd?" Lois said angrily. What the hell was up with him playing with her emotions like that?

"I just found out this week, I followed you to that restaurant in Gotham-"

"O and now you are spying on me? You know how creepy that is? So much for the big blue boy scout!" she snorted at him.

"I knew it was wrong of me but I was concern for your safet-"

"Or more like jealous to think that maybe Bruce and I would start something again! How thick are you really? At the auction I must have let slip that I knew you were Superman and you did not catch on?"

"I was distracted by the train wreck occurring there! And you are one to judge! You knew all this time and did not tell me? Do you know how agonizing it was for me that you loved Superman but not Clark Kent?"

Lois hesitated for a second. Superman had a point, that did seem wicked, but she had the best intentions, sort of.

"I was trying to make Clark Kent jealous! By the way glasses and a slight slouch? You got to be kidding me!"

"O so you get mad at me for being jealous between you and Bruce but you want me to be jealous between myself? Do you know how messed up this sounds?"

Lois bit her lip, Smallville finally grew a backbone, and it was making her love him even more. But she remembered how her heart broke when he did not commit and right there she could not allow it again.

"It does not matter if I knew. You were too scared to tell me! ME! The woman you act like you love your whole life! But it's okay to tell Bruce, Diana and the rest of the League?"

"Who is jealous now? Are you jealous of Di-"

"That does not matter! God men are so dense! I was heartbroken that you were willing to date me but not trust me enough to tell me your identity!"

"But I thought you liked Superman, not Clark Kent," Superman justified, making his voice much softer. Pain was showing thru his eyes.

Lois stumbled to get her rebuttal out at that sight, "Cl-Clark. I only dated Superman because I loved you! I thought eventually you would man up and tell me. But when you did not, you showed right there you were too afraid to trust. Relationships are built on trust. You of all people should know that."

There was a large silence after that. Neither one knew how to respond to that. Finally the Kryptonian worked up the nerves to clear his throat and whisper softly,

"But now you know. Can we start-"

Lois immediately interrupted him, "No. You are only coming clean because you know now. That does not show you are ready to commit."

She turned away, trying hard to not cry. As much as she hated him right now, she still loved him. Was this how Diana felt when Bruce left her? Probably. Even when you felt the deepest hatred for a man, it was still hard to not love them.

A gentle hand was put on her shoulder to comfort her but she brushed it off angrily.

"Just go, it's too late."

"Lois you are right. I was afraid you would say that but you are right, I have not shown my willingness to commit to you, which is why I am doing this."

Lois turned around and opened her mouth in shock to find Superman on one knee as he pulled out a black box.

There was no way this was happening; this was just a sick dream.

"Lois Lane, I know I have been a coward and I do not deserve you, but all I ask is you give me one more chance. One more chance to properly show how much I love you, and how much you mean to me. Lois Lane, will you marry me?" Clark asked as he flipped open to reveal a diamond ring. It was not glamorous or over the top like something Lex Luthor or Bruce Wayne would show, probably because Clark lived on a small income, but it was still beautiful, in Lois's eyes.

"I-" for the first time in her life, Lois was completely speechless and caught totally off guard. Out of all the scenarios she played in her head when Clark and she started their conversation, she did not expect him to propose to her.

Superman sensing she needed some prodding stood up still holding the open box.

"I know this is a big leap of faith and I do not ask for your forgiveness but you are right I have done nothing to show my willingness to commit my heart to you. Well here it is. I love you Lois."

That was it for her. She violently grabbed Clark by the chest and pulled him for one frenzy kiss. One violent one they both had put off far too long. He was hers. Always hers. And she would always be his. No matter what happened, the two were soul mates, bonded together, forever.

Finally Lois broke the kiss but still had her arms draped around his neck.

"You do realize I have to take Gary's ring back which is a lot nicer."

For a second Clark's eyes flashed jealous, earning a laugh from Lois.

"I'm kidding."

Clark sighed and grin, "Never liked him to be honest."

"I am not surprised," she grinned back.

"So what now?"

Lois smiled and broke away from Clark.

"The night is still young, and we both got all day tomorrow. Let's go out. Or we can stay here," she said and opened her robe up.

Clark's eyes popped out in shock by her sudden gesture. She grinned and put her robe back on.

"We are definitely going out tonight Boy Scout. If I kept this off any longer you probably would have passed out. Stay right here while I change."

And with that she grabbed a few clothes and went to the bathroom to change, excited the sudden unexpected turn her life was on.


	25. Girl Talk

It was another busy Monday in Metropolis, and five women were out together at Metropolis most famous bridal shop. Dinah was behind the dressing room putting on her new dress while Helena (Huntress), Beatriz (Fire), Tora (Ice), and Mari waited.

"Come on Dinah! You can't keep us all waiting!"

"I have seen other models take two hours to put a bikini on, just wait," Mari snapped back grinning. She used her connections in the fashion industry to allow Dinah to get a discount and appointment at one of the most expensive bridal shops. Plus Ollie's money did not hurt either.

"I am sure you will look lovely my dear," Beatriz said in her Brazilian accent.

Tora just sat and did not say anything; she was usually cold and quiet. Dinah just invited Mari and Beatriz from the League, but Beatriz was insistent her partner Tora would come as well. Helena, while no longer part of the League was also invited because she was Dinah's maid of honor.

"When Vic and I wed, we both just got the first tux and dress we could fine."

"But not everybody wants to elope like you two did. Some of us like to take our time," Mari joked.

Helena snorted at the remark and decided to change the topic.

"So how are things in the League lately? Vic refuses to tell me anything."

There was an awkward pause as the three women looked at each other. Finally Tora broke the silence, startling everybody. Helena never heard her talk before.

"Well Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl and Zatanna got bought at a date auction by-"

"Bruce Wayne who is also Batman I know."

Beatriz immediately put her fingers to her lips to signal Helena to stop talking. That was not something you said in public.

"How did you know?" asked a confused Beatriz.

Mari rolled her eyes, "Dear, it's the biggest open secret in the League. Come on!"

"I only knew because Wally told me-"

"Which is exactly why it's the biggest open secret," Mari said quickly making sure Beatriz dropped the subject.

"I am personally glad you dumped him," said Tora bluntly.

"I did not dump him! After a few dates we realized we should just be friends. We still get along well!"

"I don't buy it," said a disbelieving Helena. "All break ups end bad."

"When John and I broke up it was rather civil," Mari said to no one particular as she reminisced about that fateful day a two weeks ago.

"I- you and John broke up?" Helena asked in shock. She was so going to kill Vic for not telling her these things.

"Yes we both decided as much as we loved each other, we were not going to go anywhere because something's holding him back. He will always love her," Mari said a little disdainfully. The breakup may have been civil, but it did not mean she still hurt from it. She knew it was not Shayera's fault but still, a woman could only handle so much blame for herself.

"So is John back with-"

"No," Tora cut in. "He is still single. Besides that's the least of Shayera's problems."

"What do you mean?"

"Diana and she got into the mother of all fights after that date auction. Apparently both were tricked by Zatanna into attending it and were both upset because they were bought by Bruce Wayne."

Well this was surely juicier than she anticipated. Helena decided to press further, "But why did they not fight Zatanna?"

"I think it's more due to the fact Shayera and Diana still had some deep tension since the Thangarian invasion," said Beatriz giving an insightful explanation.

"Aren't they like best friends now?"

"Being best friends does not mean you still have issues with the other," Mari pointed out and then lowered her voice to a whisper. "I am sure you have some issues with Dinah still as well."

Helena, choosing not to lower her voice responded, "Yea so what? When we have issues we spar with each other."

"But the fight Shayera and Diana got in was not sparring, it was all out war. Diana blamed Shayera for tricking her to go on the date auction and all hell broke loose. It took Superman to break it up," Tora blurted.

"I still do not understand why they were upset being bought by Bruce Wayne," Beatriz pondered.

That earned all blank stares from Helena, Tora, and Mari.

"You mean Wally did not even tell you that history?" Mari asked disbelieving.

"I am sorry. The few dates Wally and I went on, we talked about ourselves not other people!" Beatriz replied defensively.

Mari sighed, "Well basically Bruce and Diana had this quasi relationship. They never really consummated it or went on an official date but they both had this attraction with each other."

Helena shook her head, "I always thought he had a thing with Catwoman."

Tora stepped into the conversation again, "But he never settled with Catwoman. His relationship with her was more just physical short term not long term. He is pretty much in love with Diana."

Mari nodded, "John told me once that in the earlier days of the League, Diana got buried under a missile and Bruce went insane trying to dig her out. When Diana got herself out and saw that Bruce tried to claw her out with his bare hands she kissed him."

Helena immediately dropped her mocha latte she had been sipping. Luckily it was almost empty so it did not spill.

"Diana kissed Bruce?"

Mari nodded. Usually gossip was beneath her but this was Batman and Wonder Woman, one of the most interesting relationships of all time.

"Yes. Diana once also told me they kissed during the invasion to pretend they were a married couple. Diana admitted she enjoyed it and she was willing to bet Bruce did as well."

"Why did she tell you this?" asked Tora curiously.

"John asked me to talk to her because Bruce was being distant to her after a mission with Morgaine La Fay. You know where everyone was transported to a different dimension?"

"Yeah that was creepy," Helena pointed out.

"Well anyways she said she tried reaching out to him after it and she just got a cold rebuff from him. She was really confused how a man could show so much love for her but then coldly push her away."

"It's because he is afraid to get hurt," Tora pointed out. "He has suffered so much loss."

"But it seems odd for Diana to hate him so much just because he is scared to hurt her. That is sweet I think in a weird way," Beatriz justified.

Tora shook her head at her best friend, "Diana is not the most experience with relationships. Also Bruce did break her heart when he cut himself off from the League."

"Yeah I remember Vic was even startled by that. He could not even figure it out why Batman would leave out of nowhere."

"There were so much wild rumors around the Watchtower. One of the popular ones were Batman snapped and killed the Joker finally because the clown disappeared around that time. Superman firmly denied it but he himself did not know exactly what happened," Mari explained to everyone. She used to date a founder after all.

"Does anybody really know?" asked Helena. If her husband could not figure this out, damn it she would.

Mari paused to think before continuing, "I am pretty sure Zatanna does. She and Bruce go way back. She is one of the few people Bruce remotely trusts."

Tora snorted, "Not anymore though after she tricked him into that date auction!"

"How does someone-"

"You all suck!" cried an angry voice of the bride to be who was standing in front of them in her new fitted gown hands on her hips. "

I have been standing here for five minutes and you are all too busy gossiping."

"Oh my God Dinah! You look gorgeous!" Helena said. She was not lying; the dress did really bring out Dinah's slim figure.

"Like I said Dinah, you could do some modeling on the side with Beatriz and me!"

"We should do a Justice League Calendar Female Edition. The UN would not have to fund us for years!" Dinah joked.

"Yeah but you know how Diana would react," Mari muttered and everyone groan. They all remembered the Great Stripper Secret Santa Fiasco a few Christmases ago.

After winning the approval of her friends, Dinah went back to the designer and told him it was fine. The designer seemed very pleased with himself and he kissed all the ladies on the cheek good bye before rushing them out of his establishment. He had a lot of customers today and could not take his time.

"So as I was asking," Helena said as they walked along the clean streets of Metropolis to find a place for lunch. "How do you trick someone to buy people at a date auction?"

"From what I heard was Zatanna wanted to make Bruce jealous of Diana in attempt to get him out of his cave but somehow a perfect storm hit and he accidently ended up buying all three women. Boy the look on Diana's face was scary. I cannot believe no one in the tabloids has really noticed it."

The ladies all giggled at that. Diana was nice but did have some sort of smug attitude with her sometimes so it was funny to see her get upset.

"I don't understand though. I know Bruce pretty well and I always thought Zatanna had a thing for him," Dinah inputted. She was determined to insert herself in this conversation as well.

"Girl don't we all at some point had a crush on Bruce? The guy is an asshole but he is the stereotypical hot bad boy we all love!" Mari teased.

All her friends nodded in agreement, despite his faults, Bruce did seem to have this allure to him.

"Honestly she does have a crush but she once told me herself when she was a little tipsy at a Christmas party that she rather see Bruce happy than miserable. She believes Bruce is happy with Diana," Helena said, getting all their attention again.

"How so? I don't think they like each other anymore," Beatriz pointed out.

"Love works in mysterious ways," Helena mused stoically. "I mean look at Vic and myself. The guy is a complete wack job and yet I fell head over heels for him."

"And Ollie is a complete sexist jerk but I still love him. I mean after I kicked his ass in sparring of course!"

All the ladies except Mari laughed. She was still reeling from a break up. But she decided she was not going to be the cynic and ruin a good time with her friends. Unfortunately, Beatriz brought up the topic of relationships again when they passed a news stand and grabbed a headline.

At first nothing seem special about it which puzzled the other four ladies. But after closer examination they realized the headline was announcing that Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Lois Lane had call off her an engagement with a media mogul instead to be engaged to a fellow reporter by the name of Clark Kent.

"Now what the hell is going on here?" asked Helena confused. She was definitely reconsidering on rejoining the League now.


	26. Connecting the Dots

The man continued to go down the secret flight of stairs impatiently. The Master was taking too long. Normally the Master's will was infallible but the man had enough. They were so close to finding the last item and they were sitting around doing nothing. The Conspiracy for centuries had been trying to reach this goal and they were so close now. So close. They have kept in the shadows, waiting for their Master to return to them.

But now the Master did not seem to be fulfilling his job. They were supposed to rise up and restore order to the anarchic world. The Master seemed to be taking his time. Did he not understand that humanity suffered enough by the hands of those in power? It was time for a change.

The Master's back was turn toward the man as he arrived. The man was nervous. It was never good to not know where the Master was looking. If he was not looking at you that could mean he was plotting your demise.

"What is it Pierre?" asked the Master not even turning around.

"Master. I understand your authority but I-I must protest…"

"I told you Pierre to have patience…"

"But sir we have been patient enough! Stein does not have much longer to live and when he dies, so does the sword's location!"

The Master gave a sigh of annoyance but still did not turn around, "Pierre Stein is old, but he is not weak. The man would die before he gave us the location."

"But if he-"

"Pierre!" the Master said in a stern voice and turn around finally to look his subordinate in the eyes. Pierre immediately stopped talking and stood stiff waiting for his punishment.

"Pierre, do you know anything about the Komodo dragon?"

"I-beg your pardon Master?" Pierre asked confused.

"According to legend, once a komodo bites its prey it will relentlessly follow it, waiting for it to die. That is what we are doing. We are just waiting for Stein to die."

"But when he dies the secret will die-"

The Master immediately whipped out the Eye of Montezuma which caused Pierre to cower in fear, the legends of this device's capabilities were frightful enough.

"This will tell us the location of the sword. All it requires is a little blood payment…"

"But why wait then? Why not act now and locate it?"

"Patience my friend. Stein is not aware of this ability of the eye but he is still paranoid. He moves the sword from different locations on a daily basis. Rumor has it he does not keep it in the same place more than two hours. It is much easier to wait for the man to die. The sword will stop moving just enough for us to grab it while his men remain at lost what to do with it. Like I said, we are just waiting for the prey to die. We have all the time in the world."

The Question stood at the billboard sweating. There was a connection he knew it. He long dropped the idea that Diana's mystery mission was part of the Large Conspiracy that he believed in. But he still knew there was a smaller conspiracy around it. He was so engrossed in staring at the board that he did not notice that his wife had arrived home.

"Hey Vic!" she said cheerily which he did not reply. That annoyed her a little.

"Vic? Baby doll? Hello?"

Still no response from him. It was time for a drastic approach.

"Vic I am pregnant!"

That got a reaction out of him. Well she could not fully tell with him having his mask on, but she got used to it enough to notice the subtle signs when he was startled.

"Wait wha-?"

"I am just kidding you idiot! I was just trying to get your attention!"

"O well I guess that would work…"

She slapped him and kissed him on the cheek.

"I wish you would take that mask off as well when you are home!"

"Sorry I just got off of League business. How was Dinah's bridal shopping?"

"It was fun! The girls had a great time. Dinah is so excited!"

"She should be. Her and Queen work well together."

She laughed. Vic was always uncomfortable on discussing relationships.

"So what is the latest update on your mission?" she asked getting something to drink out of the fridge.

"You-you know I cannot tell you its top-"

"I am kidding Vic! You know I left the League anyways. I could care less. Although I am reconsidering…"

That caused Vic to drop the photo of a Greek shield that went missing in the 1800's he was about to pin next to photos of the two objects Wonder Woman had received.

"What?"

"Well apparently there has been so much drama and juicy stories going around you have not told me! Did Shayera and Diana really duke it out?"

"I was not there when it happened but it was ugly from what I heard. They were both nearly naked when Superman broke it up."

Helena snorted at that.

"Speaking of Superman, did you hear that he's getting married to that reporter he always saves?"

Vic once again dropped the photo he just picked up.

"He and Lois are now engaged?"

"Yup, it seems like everyone is finally getting their happy ending. You know I just wish these people would stop moving around back and forth with these relationships. They never seem to be going in one direction."

Vic nodded in agreement but then noticed a sheet he had on his desk. It was a bunch of deliveries that a millionaire who owned an artifact stolen in Gotham a few weeks ago was making. When he heard about the theft he decided to look up this Maxwell Stein, the owner, out of curiosity. Mister Terrific helped him even though he thought it was a waste of time. Vic had been mapping the routes of Stein's company to see if there was a pattern. But upon hearing his wife saying never staying in the same direction, an idea clicked in the detective's mind. There was no pattern; the millionaire was trying to hide something. Something that needed to be moved all the time.

Immediately Vic ran to the computer and started typing, ignoring his wife who was talking about Dinah's future wedding. When Vic pulled up the computer he found out that Gotham in the past month had been the victim of thievery of ancient artifacts the past month. He was aware of the Eye, but now he learned a chalice was stolen and some type of Greek artifact that no one saw. Could it be that Greek shield that had been missing for decades? How had Batman not come close to this? How could he not check Stein's company activities? Vic did and he did not even think it was that important at the moment.

"Baby Doll! Are you paying attention?"

"Helena I am sorry but I just made a breakthrough!"

"You did? That's great!"

"Yeah," he said while hurriedly putting on his blue trench coat, "I am going to get some answers for some questions I have-"

He was immediately blocked by his wife, her eyes wide with anger.

"No! Last time you made a breakthrough and went blindly in, you got yourself kidnapped!"

"But this is imp-"

"You are doing this for the League! I think they should give approval first!"

"But you don't-"

"It does not matter! I do not want you going rogue and nearly getting yourself killed again!" she screamed back and Vic saw she was fighting back tears. Boy did he feel like an ass now.

His own wife did not want him to go on his own because she did not want him to get kidnapped again. How did he not see it at first? Immediately he wrapped his arms around Helena who started to break down and whisper softly in her ear.

"I am sorry. So sorry. That was really stupid of me-"

"Just promise me you get League approval and that you take me with you?"

"Of course dear. I will bring it up in the meeting tonight."

Helena kissed him on the cheek as he called for Mister Terrific to teleport him immediately to the Watchtower. He was getting so close to the bottom of this. If he hurried he could announce it for the Monday Founder's Meeting.


	27. A Plan

The Founders all sat at the table with one empty seat as the faceless man stood calmly before them. He had just relay what he found out and his theories.

Finally Superman spoke, "So you believe that these three artifacts that have been stolen in Gotham are connected somehow and this Stein has the last piece?"

"He is a millionaire who has his company delivery trucks never picking or dropping stuff off in the same place. To me that means he is constantly moving something."

Many nodded in agreement, he had a point.

"And you think this has to do with Diana's quest because...?" asked Flash, always stating the obvious questions people had.

The Question procured a photo of a Greek Shield and gave it to Diana.

"Does this look familiar?"

Diana examined and began to gasp.

"It is Ancient Greek. It's writing-"

"Is the same style on the staff that you have!" the Question said eagerly.

"What do the markings say then?" asked John curiously.

"That's the problem, they do not say anything. I can read it but it's in gibberish. It's like someone just slewed a bunch of words together on both," Diana explained.

"So do you think these other objects that have been missing are connected to this somehow? That could be a coincidence," spoke Shayera, playing devil's advocate.

"I receive a mysterious object with Greek writing on it that makes no sense just when a long forgotten shield with the same style is possibly stolen? I do not think that is coincidence," Diana responded a little harshly while the Question nodded his head an agreement. That earned a glare from the Thanagarian. Question cleared his throat nervously.

Finally J'onn who had remained silent the whole meeting decided it was time to intervene.

"So Question do you know where Mr. Stein is? Can we talk to him?"

"That's the problem. He disappeared after he went to Gotham to reclaim the eye. Unfortunately it got stolen."

"Well there goes that lead," muttered Flash.

"Not necessarily," the Question argued. "I think there is a way we can find him."

"How," asked Superman. "Magic?"

"I do not think magic will help if this guy does not want to be found. He probably has some defenses."

"Well how? Scour the globe for him with a giant magnifying glass?" John stated sarcastically.

The Question cleared his throat nervously again, he did not want to say this but since he was acting with League approval, he needed to let them know. That was why he wanted to go right away alone before Helena stopped him. He knew the one person that could help them would probably not want to help the League.

"Alright, let me finish before you say anything but let's look at the facts. There have been three artifacts stolen in Gotham the past months. One theft was halted temporarily by the intervention of Batman. I think he can-"

But his words were lost when he mentioned Batman's name. Flash spit out his soda he was just drinking, Superman and John's eyes bugged out, Shayera laughed while Diana's face flashed in anger. Even J'onn looked surprised.

"Vic, you have to understand Bat-"

"Superman I know he had a nasty falling out with all of you and has broken ties with all of us but we can use his help. For all we know, he might have more intel than us. If the fate of the world is resting on this like Wonder Woman says, we may need all the help we can get."

"I think she would rather work with Luthor," Shayera joked, making sure Diana heard her. The Amazon did and immediately stood up, ready to fight.

"Shayera!" Superman yelled while John got his ring ready to block Diana in case she flew across the table.

"Shayera's smirk faded and she showed a little guilt by the low blow and lowered her head in embarrassment while muttering 'sorry' quietly.

J'onn ever the peace maker brought back everyone's attention, "Question you must understand that all of us," he emphasized the last word by looking around the table with a hint of sternness in his voice, "would be willing to work with Batman. The problem is getting him to work with us. You must understand that-"

"I will do it!" Shayera blurted out causing all eyes on her. Half of them had their mouths agape.

"What?" she asked a little taken aback by everyone's disbelief. "It's no secret that I have to date his alter ego this Sunday. I will try to talk him into then."

John shook his head at that remark.

"What is wrong Stewart? You think you can do better?"

"I just do not think any of us are going to get that stubborn ass out of his cave. If I recall I remember he threatened to blow up the Watchtower and Metro Tower if we tried to bring him in on-"

Shayera laughed, "And you bought that bluff? Please Batman is all show and we know it! Killing is not his style!"

"Yeah but he is known to do other stuff that is downright scary," muttered Flash under his breath.

"What makes you think you can get Batman to help? I am pretty sure he would not trust someone who not only betrayed him but got his house blown up," Diana remarked with vengeance in her eyes.

Shayera however was known for her quick wit and decided to use that instead of her mace this time.

"And I suppose you could do better considering you are the Dark Knight's Princess?"

Immediately the atmosphere in the room was sucked out. Diana was pale as a sheet. J'onn eyes were glowing in alarm. Superman was taken aback. John was shocked, his glowing eyes wide open. Flash had his mouth hung open again. Shayera however stood her ground, hands on her hips, smirking triumphantly. No one noticed that the Question had slowly backed out of the room, getting as far away as possible from this impending apocalypse.

Diana's white face began to flush with red, eyes glowing with pure hate. She was about to fly off as fast as she could to throttle Shayera when a strong but gentle hand clasped her shoulder.

"That is all for now. Meeting adjourned!"

Diana gave superman a venomous glare which he responded with a stern icy glare as well.

"Now, Diana."

Diana, flushing with anger, stormed out of the room. No one followed her at first. Flash then sped out followed by J'onn. John and Shayera were about to leave when Superman raised his hand.

"Shayera, a word with you," it was not a question. John stopped and opened his mouth to say something but Superman responded with another icy glare. Defeated John back out of the room leaving Shayera and Superman alone.

Shayera sighed and sat back down on a chair. She had a feeling where this was going to be heading.

Superman sighed and sat back down as well folding his hands and bowing his head to think. After a minute he lifted his head up and gave Shayera a soft look.

"Shayera you know if you and Di-"

"I know I let my temper get the better of me I am sorry."

"I think you should-"

"No!" she said quickly. "You said so yourself you will not interfere with our feud. Stay out of this Superman."

She got up to leave but Superman's soft glare immediately turned icy and intimidating again. Shayera sat back down.

"You are right. But both of you are treading on thin ice Shayera. This is the last warning. Because if you two fight again I will kick you out first before Diana because you seem to be the instigator in this."

Shayera rolled her eyes. Of course he would take Diana's side over hers.

Superman ignored the slight at him and continued, "However that is not what I came to talk to you about."

Shayera gave him a puzzled look. She usually could figure Superman out. He rarely surprised her.

"Shayera, I know you need to go on this date with Bruce-"

"And let me guess you are concern for my safety?" she taunted. Of course the Big Blue Boy scout would. Never considering Shayera could handle herself.

"No, I am actually giving you my approval," Superman said, still keeping his voice low in contrast to Shayera's rising voice.

Once again Superman had surprised Shayera. She was a little taken aback by that.

"I just want to warn you to be careful. Bruce is very stubborn as you and Diana are. We cannot afford another feud going on right now."

And with that, the Man of Steel got up and left the meeting room, leaving Shayera to reflect on the events that just transpired.


	28. A New Strategy

**Thank you to mythrill for the comments. Yes I am aware the story starts off slow but I could not do it justice without really giving some of these characters the proper introductions. Also I have finished the story in my head, I just have not been able to put in writing yet, so have patience. My goal is to finish the rest of this story by New Years.**

Wally West got off his job late. Something went wrong with a DNA test result, so he was forced to stay back an extra hour to run the test again. When he was finally relieved he looked at the clock and realized that his date with Linda started in ten minutes. Plenty of time for the fastest man alive. He sped off to his home and changed into his clothes. He had 9 minutes and thirty seconds to spare.

He offered Linda to come to his place so they could work together on a case. She was a journalist and was interested in a recent murder that the CCPD had been investigating. Wally grinned to himself as he ordered from his favorite pizza place. It was supposed to be casual dinner, not like the ball he took her the other week.

It was just a dinner between friends. Just friends.

Wally of course loved Linda. He was head over heels mad in love with her. But he was pretty sure she had a crush on the Flash though. So he could never fill that void. This must be how Supes felt with Lois.

A knock on the door told him she was here. Smiling he got up and answered the door. Linda greeted him with a hug and smiled as Wally took her coat off and hung it on a rack. His Aunt Iris always raised him to be a gentleman with a woman.

Wally expecting Linda to get right to business was thus a little awestruck when Linda instead started asking stuff about him. She was asking how work had been lately and she did keep mentioning that she had a great time at the police ball the other week. Maybe Shayera was right, things could be looking up. He was interrupted by his thoughts when Linda interrupted him with a poignant question.

"So Wally, how does a young man working in a forensics lab afford a nice suit like the one you wore to that ball?"

Wally was immediately knocked off his feet. For being the fastest man alive he was not quick when talking to women. Let alone a very smart and attractive one who was also a reporter.

"I-uh," he said, a little embarrassed by how completely off guard he was right now. His face was redder than his own hair.

"It's alright," she teased, laughing at his discomfort. "I understand you do not want to tell who your mysterious benefactor was. I just got to ask you a question, did you think wearing a thousand dollar tux would impress me?"

"Well no. In fact my friend strongly recommended I borrow one of his. I wanted to go with this awesome green tie I-"

Linda snorted. "Wally you crack me up sometimes! You cannot wear that to a black tie event! You could have just rented a tux!"

"If you are going to critique my fashion issues I should have put on some more appropriate clothes then," Wally bantered back, indicating to the jeans and sweatshirt he was wearing right now. "Maybe I should wear a cashmere scarf while I am at it!"

"You can't even spell cashmere!" Linda teased.

"I n-Wait that is not the point!" Wally said, embarrassed again. Linda reached out and touched his hand to calm him down.

"Wally I am kidding. You do not need to get so worked up. If I had issues with those things I would not have gone to the charity ball with you."

"_What the hell does that mean?"_ a thought screamed out of his frozen brain.

"Uh wha-?"

Linda smiled and shook her head.

"Wally it was really sweet of you to try to impress me with all that stuff, but I went because I liked you, not because I thought you had excellent fashion sense or good social skills with women."

"Hey I get-"

Linda snorted, "Oh please! That is what I like about you Wally. You are so true to yourself and you make me laugh, something not many men can do around here."

Wally could not believe his luck right now. A gorgeous, intelligent, funny woman, a girl of his dreams, was saying she liked him. Not because he had a nice suit or said the smooth lines, but because he was himself. Also she had no idea he was the Flash which was a bonus. That was going to be a problem though. How would he tell her? Clark had his own problems with Lois.

"Uh Wally, are you still there?" asked Linda waving her hand in front of his dumbstruck face.

"Sorry. I-uh just realized something," said Wally desperate to save face for at least once in this conversation. "You did not come here to interview me did you?"

Linda rolled her eyes laughing.

"Oh please. If I did I would have interviewed your boss Drew, he is a lot cuter…I am kidding!" she said, noticing the little shocked look Wally gave when she said that.

Wally laughed with her. She was a keeper. His fling of Beatriz was just a fling. But this, this was real. And the best part was, she did not like him because he was the Flash.

Finally the TV that Wally had left on the entire time caught the starting couple's attention. It was on a tabloid channel. Wally always watched them, secretly and alone of course. However due to work and League business he had been preoccupied and had not been up to date on recent events.

The report was about Lois Lane, one of America's most infamous journalists breaking off her engagement to some rich guy. Instead she is now engage to one of her coworkers. A certain coworker by the name of Clark Kent.

"No way!" Wally said his draw dropping. Clark and Lois finally got back together? Why did no one ever tell him these things?

"Yea. I like Lois Lane. I sometimes would like to think I can be to her level one of these days. Do not get me wrong, I love Central City, it's just, I want to do some more international news-"

"Linda I got-got-got to tell you something," said Wally a little nervous.

"What is it?" Linda asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

He remembered the rule that one would never tell their secret identity unless to their significant others. But Linda was his or soon to be. He did remember Shayera once saying he told Beatriz too much when they briefly dated. But it worked for Superman and Lois. Here it goes.

"!" he said very fast.

"What was that? For a second I thought you said you were the Flash," Linda asked confused.

Wally groaned, he wanted to make this as quickly as possible.

Shayera exited her room sweating followed by a very much more tired and sweaty Vigilante. She had decided to do racquet ball in her room. The steel walls in her room allowed excellent conditions for it. Unfortunately her room was really small and poor Vigilante suffered much abuse from Shayera's powerful swing. She after all had plenty of practice swinging a mace.

"So yea, sorry about that. I did not think my room would be too small to play," she apologized awkwardly to a wobbling Vigilante.

"No problem ma'm. See ya later," said a clearly embarrassed Vigilante whose voice was a few octaves higher.

Shayera sighed when she realized she would have to move all her furniture back into her room. She really wished that the training room would get fixed; she was going crazy trying to find physical activities to do in her small room. She was in the middle of attempting to squeeze her bed back in thru the narrow door when she heard a gentle voice behind her.

"Shayera, got a minute?"

Shayera turn around to find she was staring at Zatanna who was in jeans and a t-shirt. Odd considering the witch was usually in uniform.

"O it's you," said Shayera, ignoring her question.

"Please Shayera it's about Bru-"

"No!" said Shayera cutting her off. "The last time you tried to get me in your schemes with Bruce, the training room got destroyed. I just destroyed poor Vigilante's manhood because we tried to play racquetball in my room!"

Zatanna tried hard not to laugh, "But Shayera you do not have to play racquetball, there are other ways of exercise-"

"That is not the point! Look whatever new scheme you concocted, leave me out of it. I am just going to get my date Bruce done with and that's that."

"But that's not the only reason. You are trying to get back at Diana and make John jealous," Zatanna shot back.

Shayera was a little stun by that accusation but only momentarily.

"Don't think you know me!" Shayera threatened. She did not have her mace, but her racquet in her hand. Still it could be an effective weapon. But Zatanna was a mage, and the racquet did not disrupt magic like her mace.

"Or you have moved passed that and instead are trying to get on Superman's good side for you and Diana's feud by using that date as an opportunity to convince Bruce to help you on the recent case you have been tasked."

"I-How did you know?" Shayera asked suspiciously. This was supposed to be top case material, only six founders, the Question, Mister Terrific, and a few others knew about it.

Zatanna laughed and explained, "Whatever happened at that meeting spooked the Question enough that he immediately ran to Holt to tell what happened. They were so stun by this gossip they did not notice me passing by. It is kinda funny, never would have pegged those two as into everyone's personal life. But then again, the Question does go thru everyone's trash."

Shayera shook her head. Sometimes these people were such idiots they let stuff like this damage their own effectiveness. It was why she could only tolerate John sometimes. He was of the only few to understand the concept of professionalism. But then again he did start a relationship with her…

"So anyways," Zatanna continued, seeing Shayera was not going to respond. "Are you still planning on trying to convince Bruce to help you guy?"

"Yea, so what? Don't worry, I am working with Nightwing. He is bringing the ex-batgirl to the game so Bruce cannot try to act like he is not Batman."

"Yes but may I offer some advice how you approach this?"

Shayera hesitated, she remembered Dick saying Zatanna was too nice to Bruce, but the witch did manage Bruce to at least start living with his estranged protégé. She deserved some credit there.

"Look I do not care how you do it whether you try to be nice or aggressive. Just bear in mind if you want Bruce's help, you got to convince him he still has friends."

"What?"

"Look, whether he admits it or not, he considered many of the League members his friends at one point. I have got him to accept he still has a family, you need to get him to accept that he can still have friends though. If you want to get his help in the League, you will have an easier time convincing him if he believes he can be friends with you again."

Shayera opened her mouth but could not find anything to say. Zatanna had a point.

"I think you will be able to figure something out, you have three days after all," Zatanna said as she made her way to the Monitor Womb to get teleported to her date with Mike. They were going to the movies today.

She smiled to herself. She was determined to get Bruce and Diana back together. On their date she realized that maybe the best way to break down the walls to his heart was try a different direction, the family angle. That would make sense as being the easiest one to break down because the batclan were the few people he allowed himself to get close to. Hopefully Shayera would take her advice and convince Bruce he had friends as well. If anyone could do it, it was Shayera. She had the right amount of stubbornness and brashness.

Now if Bruce could accept he could have friends and family, it would all come down to Diana. It was going to take a wonder woman to convince Bruce he could love someone else. Her original plan for the date auction had it backwards. It was much better to drag Bruce out of his cave first and then reach his heart.

Zatanna smiled as Mister Terrific typed the coordinates for her. This time her plans would not fail.


	29. Shayera

Shayera looked at herself in the mirror. She was in jeans and a t-shirt that advertised the Gotham Rogues. She figured if she was going to a stadium full of a lot of people who still saw her as a traitor, the least she could do is support the home team. It never did hurt to win some brownie points. She was not really paying attention to Flash who was going over the rules of football with her.

"Alright so remember if the offense is tackled behind the goal line that is a safety which is two points and the defense also gets the ball as well. Although safeties are really rare and…" he noticed Shayera just staring into space.

"Hey Shay! Are you listening?"

"Yeah whatever," Shayera muttered, she was thinking over what Zatanna said the other day. Bruce would be easier to convince if he believed he had friends. How was she going to make the world's biggest loner realize he still has friends? Especially when she was sure he did not trust her at all.

"Ok. Well now let's go over stats. The Metropolis Monarchs and Gotham Rogues have a rivalry going back since football was founded. For the past ten years, the Monarchs have dominated the Rogues in every match up. The Monarchs have won the Superbowl three times the last ten years and have been in the playoffs every year. The Rogues however have made the playoffs a couple of times but get out usually after the first round. They have never won the Superbowl."

That finally got Shayera's attention.

"So I am going to support a losing team?"

"Hey now. They'll do fine."

"But the Monarchs are obviously going to win. They are undefeated this year."

"Upsets happen, Shayera. Now let's go over special teams."

"Thank you Wally but I think I am fine now. I am going to head down there now."

"Oh okay, well good luck," Wally said as Shayera exited the room.

Shayera walked down the hallway, praying she would not run into anyone. She did not want anyone to stare at her as she was wearing a Gotham related t-shirt. Everyone would start gossiping and whispering. Thankfully she was almost to the Monitor Womb and had not run into anyone. Unfortunately, the last man she wanted to see had just stepped out of it.

"Shayera?" John asked eyeing her shirt.

"John," Shayera said coldly, trying to hide the emotion she was building up towards this man. The man who toyed with her heart all the time.

"Where are you going?"

Shayera rolled her eyes, "Don't act stupid Stewart! You know perfectly well what this means!"

"Well I am not comfortable you just waltzing into Gotham-"

"Well I do not give a crap on what you care about, Stewart! You never did for me!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Shayera laughed, "Oh don't act so innocent. I understand why we broke up. I am not trustworthy enough. But then you tell me that in the future we have a son, but because your ego does not believe in fate you rather stay with Vixen even if it does not make you happy?"

That managed to shut John up for a second. Shayera seeing an opportunity to escape stormed past him.

"I broke up with Mari," said John quietly. Shayera was amazed she heard him.

"What?" Shayera said. Shocked by this bombshell. Why had she not heard about this yet? Then again, other than Wally and J'onn, she pretty much had no one to talk to the past few weeks.

"I broke up with her. I could not string her along anymore. We both admitted we had amazing times together, but in the end it was going nowhere. We could not force something that was not there."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Shayera asked angrily. She hated when the man toyed with her like that.

John did not answer but stared at her sadly and turned around and walked away, leaving Shayera alone, except for Mister Terrific who was sitting in his seat unnoticed, pretending he did not hear anything.

Shayera sighed and was tempted to punch a computer but thought better of it.

"_Damn you!"_ she thought to herself as she gave Mister Terrific the coordinates to teleport her.

Bruce and Dick began driving to Gotham stadium neither really talking. Or at least Bruce wasn't.

"So do think the Rogues are gonna pull off the upset of the century today?" Dick asked, attempting to get a conversation out of Bruce.

"Don't care," the older man said in an aloof voice. He was never a fan of football anyways. His father used to take him with clients when he was young, back in the glory days of the Rogues. They were now a joke. He only kept the seats for sentimental reasons and to occasionally give customers in Gotham something to do.

"Well I think they can do it. The Monarch's star quarterback, what's his name?"

"Hanson," Bruce replied flatly.

"Yea that guy, he is past his prime though. I mean he still better than half the quarterbacks in the league but still he is not as good as he used to be. The Rogues got a chance if they can take him out of play…"

Bruce completely ignored Dick's attempts of conversation and kept driving. He was looking forward to when this stupid date would be over. If it was up to him, he would have just ignored it but the stupid press kept raising questions. Shayera and he were not always on the friendliest terms due to both being headstrong detectives. Also he always hated how she could outthink him sometimes, especially in chess.

She was not that hard to spot on the street to pick her up. Those wings of course were a dead giveaway. But also many people seem to try to go out of the way to avoid the winged woman, making her easier to be seen since she was not blended in the crowd. Bruce felt a surge of pity for her. He always liked to isolate himself like that but Shayera did not choose that lifestyle, he did. Traitor or not, she did not deserve to be ostracized anymore. She had done too much good for the world.

Bruce parked the car and got out, deciding not to go over the top like he always did when in playboy mode.

Shayera was a little surprised. She expected Bruce to put an all out idiotic performance like he usually did. Instead he approached her politely and asked if she was ready to go inside. She forgot this was probably as painful for him as it was for her.

There were some advantages of having special seats; they did not have to wait in line. Within five minutes they found their seats a few rows up from the 50 yard line. Most of the upper elite of Gotham usually sat in the club seats, but Thomas Wayne preferred to have his seats among the fans. It was a better way to get the real game experience he used to say.

They filed in, earning a few stares from the fans. Shayera was worried that her wings would block a few seats behind her but Bruce explained he thought of that and bought all tickets around the area so they could have some privacy. That was always like him. Always thinking ahead.

As they sat down, Bruce eyed Dick looking over his shoulder and checking his watch.

"Dick did you give your date her ticket?"

"Yea don't worry I sent it to her a while back. She should be coming soon."

In a manner of minutes most of the seats, except the ones around them were getting filled up. Despite the Rogues' abysmal playing, it was still a rivalry game and people would want to see it. Bruce was starting to think Dick's date ditched him when all of a sudden a familiar red head came by

"Hello Dick!" Barbara said.

"Babs!" Dick got up and gave her a friendly hug.

Shayera watched the two young adults embrace and then noticed Bruce's expression. It was not the idiotic playboy look or the apathetic look of the Bat. It was the look of shock. Dick was right, bringing the ex-Batgirl along would certainly throw Bruce for a loop.

"Hello Bruce," Barbara said a little less enthusiastically. She was still not too crazy about him kicking her out of the manor.

"Barbara," he said calmly thru clenched teeth.

Dick sensing mounting tensions introduced Barbara to Shayera. The two red heads had just shaken hands when Bruce interrupted them.

"What are you doing here Barbara?" he asked in the infamous menacing voice of the Bat.

"O I am sorry Bruce, am I not welcome in Gotham at all? My father used to be the police commissioner in case you forgotten. I still come down to visit all the time."

Bruce then shifted his glare at Dick. Even if her excuse was valid, there was no way Dick would have just invited without a good reason. They were ex-boyfriend and girlfriend after all.

Dick grin back, unfazed by the glare.

"I figured if I brought some airhead girl you couldn't act like you and Shayera knew each other before so I decided it would give you a meaningful experience out of it," Dick explained. He may have claimed good intentions but his eyes showed the malice. Bruce was so going to kill them when they got back to the house.

Shayera smirked. The kids were sticking it to the old man and he did not like it.

However the national anthem started to play so what she was going to say next was dropped. Pretty soon kickoff began. For the first quarter neither team scored which exceeded many Rogues fans' expectations. During that period none of the four adults said anything but just sat in awkward silence. Finally Shayera decided to go bold. She started to chant the "D-Fence!" Chant with the fans. That earned a lot of applause for all the resident Gotham fans nearby.

Whether by coincidence or something else, the Rogues' managed to force a surprise fumble from the Monarchs' quarterback. A safety managed to run it all the way back, not only giving the Rogues the turnover but a touchdown as well.

The fans went wild after that. Many of them who were near their seats were all looking at Shayera when they cheered. Some were starting to see her as a good luck charm. Shayera smirked to herself and sat back down as the ref's took a timeout for the next kickoff next to a clearly uncomfortable Bruce.

"What?" she asked, glaring at Bruce. "I like contact sports!"

Bruce just continued to stare at her. Dick and Barbara were holding back laughter at Bruce's blatant discomfort.

"You know you should try enjoying a few things sometimes Bruce."

"In my job, there is no time."

"Only because you do not allow it. And do not deny you enjoy it. I remember you having a good time at League parties we threw sometimes."

Bruce just continued to glare at her.

Shayera shrugged her shoulders and came engrossed in the game again. A pass inference penalty was called against the Rogues which put the Monarchs within 30 yards of the goal post.

"Bullshit!" Shayera screamed earning a few stares but nonetheless a lot of cheers still.

"He hardly touched him!" Shayera continued.

Bruce was too well train to show signs of embarrassment that easily, but Dick could tell he was. Whenever he was really embarrassed, Bruce would stare off into space, not attempting to make eye contact with anyone. Dick tapped Barbara on the shoulder signaling they should leave. Barbara followed suit, muttering about getting some food. Maybe being alone would make Bruce more comfortable talking to Shayera.

Shayera was yelling again. The Monarch's had just scored, the game was tied now. Not good for the Rogues.

"Enjoying yourself?" Bruce asked with sarcasm as he gave her a piercing look. Shayera just grin.

"Come on. I know you Bruce, you have a competitive spirit. Can you at least attempt to get into the game?"

Bruce just responded with a glare. Shayera sighed and decided on impulse to grab him and bring him up a few rows in the empty seats in front of them so they were closer to some Rogues' fans.

"Hey mind if we come a little closer? We are getting bored up there. It is too quiet!"

Many of the fans cheered and oblige the two to sit with them. The crowd was already warming up to Shayera. And plus it was not every day one got to sit next to a billionaire.

Bruce was out of his comfort zone but decided being among regular civilians who prevent Shayera from talking about League business. Bruce soon was forced to watch the game. After watching it for a while he was starting to grow an appreciation for it. He groaned when the Monarchs manage to stop the Rogues from scoring another touchdown and had to settle for a field goal. He even shared their frustration when the Monarchs gained more yardage on another bogus penalty.

"It's like this game is rigged man!" said an angry fan next to him.

"Actually it is probably because he is from a different vantage point than us. Plus they do not have instant replay…"

But Bruce's explanation was loss on the fan because the Monarchs managed to score another touchdown and made the extra point, leading the game 14-10.

The home team fans obviously booed because the Instant Replay played later on the jumbotron showed clearly that a Monarch offensive lineman was holding on the play but the none of the refs caught it.

"This is bullshit!" Shayera chanted followed by a bunch of fans.

Bruce was worried some parents would complain about Shayera's language choice but none of them seem to mind. In fact many of them were just as angry as her by the clearly bad call by the refs.

The Rogues however managed to just run the kickoff back in a surprising stunt. This was turning to be a wild game. To their left a bunch of fans started doing the wave in response.

"Come on," Shayera said grabbing Bruce's arm as the wave began to approach them.

"I am not-"

"Oh you so are!" Shayera interrupted and forced him to get up and down with the rest of the crowd as the wave came by.

Normally Bruce would get mad by a meta manhandling him like that but because of the current moment and the overall euphoria around him Bruce let it slide. A small part of him enjoyed it but he would never admit it.

Before the next kickoff began, the announcer's began to play the Gotham Rogues' fight song. It was a cheesy remix of a disco song, Bruce always hated it. But like all true Gothammites, he knew all the words.

The fans around them all began to sing a long except Shayera and Bruce. Shayera did not know the lyrics. Bruce smirked, she finally had shut up.

"Here I will teach you," Bruce said, taking pride for once he knew something Shayera did not.

When the chorus went along again Bruce sang along with the crowd while encouraging Shayera. Pretty soon the third time the chorus was played, the entire section they were sitting in was like a mini orchestra expressing pride in their team.

When the song was over, everyone sat back down, laughing. Even Bruce. Shayera knew a part of him was still forcing it, but she knew deep down he was having a good time. Zatanna was right; the best way to get to Bruce was make him actually have fun.

Bruce was reluctantly enjoying himself. He was so used to attending boring functions with the upper Gotham society he forgot what fun was. To him being the playboy was just part of his job, not as an outlet for entertainment. Here though, being at this game, with his fellow Gothamites, he was just Bruce. An ordinary citizen of Gotham who took pride in his city.

"So it is true, you do have an excellent singing voice," Shayera teased.

Bruce eyes narrowed again. Perhaps he was letting loose a little too much. The next thing he needed would be people finding about his little night club gig with Circe.

Shayera playfully punched him in the arm. "I am kidding, don't worry I won't tell."

Meanwhile Dick and Barbara had return from the concession stands a while ago and sat in their seats far away observing Shayera slowly goad Bruce into getting into the football game.

"I do not believe it," Barbara said.

"I know, he is actually smiling."

"He is actually having fun for once."

"Watch when we get back to the cave though he will play it off as an act but I know him better now. He is actually enjoying himself."

The game had reach hand time and Bruce decided would be a good time to get some food, he took Shayera with him. He was still a gentleman and was willing to pay for his date's food.

He led Shayera to a hotdog stand.

"I would not think you were a fan of unhealthy foods," Shayera said as she saw the two sausages in the buns Bruce had bought.

Bruce chuckled. "I do not usually eat them. I have Alfred usually cook my food or I eat at a restaurant that does not serve them."

"Oh the woes of the upper class," Shayera mocked.

Bruce smirked and began to put all sorts of condiments on his.

"But Gotham Stadium is famous for its hot dogs despite their unhealthiness. So in the spirit of tradition, we will eat some. We do not want to jinx the team by breaking tradition."

"I thought you do not believe in superstitions."

"I don't, but those rowdy fans we sit next to do. All we need is for them to blame the loss on the game for not eating a hot dog."

Shayera laughed at that statement and followed Bruce to their seats with the group of fans they had been hanging out with.

By the end of the third quarter, the score was now 21-17, Monarchs. They had managed to come back with another unanswered touchdown. Although there was still another quarter to play, the Monarchs seem to be carrying the momentum.

"Come on Rogues, finish strong!" Shayera bellowed as other fans said similar sentiments. As the quarter ended, the Jumbotron started resorting to its usual cheesy entertainment methods to keep the fans occupied during the quarter break. This time it was the kiss camera.

Shayera and Bruce laughed at the awkwardness that camera caught on some fans. Especially when it fell on a young couple. Bruce immediately recognized them as Dick and Barbara and grin wickedly, payback time. All the fans turn around and started chanting 'kiss her' to Dick.

Dick and Barbara looked at each other unsure. They were exes after all. Dick, deciding to take the middle route kissed Barbara on the cheek. A friendly kiss nothing more. Unfortunately that earned a few boos from the fans. Bruce shook his head grinning at Dick's discomfort.

But just as Bruce turn around to continue to watch the Jumbotron, the camera had panned on Bruce and Shayera.

"_Crap!"_ Bruce thought as all the fans around them turned around to watch in expectations. The whole stadium was also chanting as well. Gotham's prince was on camera.

Bruce and Shayera simultaneously looked to each other, green eyes finding blue.

Shayera shrugged her shoulders and Bruce relaxed his posture. Might as well.

The two immediately began an over the top, dramatic, violent kiss. Obviously the most animated kiss the Jumbotron had shown yet. In fact the camera stayed on them longer than any other couple. Sensing this, the two just kept up their charade and Bruce decided to take it a step further.

He lifted Shayera up in a bridal carry. Shayera playing along acted all surprised but in love.

That earned a lot of cheers from the crowd. Bruce then sprinted up the steps carrying Shayera as the crowd got louder, cheering them on. After he reached the top of the stairs in the section, he gently lowered Shayera down and the two waved at the camera still focused on them. The two then headed back to their seats to be greeted by many handshakes and slaps on the back from the eager fans in their area.

Of course majority of the crowd knew that Shayera and Bruce were being overdramatic, but still many were sending text messages to their friends what they just saw.

"We are probably going to make YouTube now," Shayera joked.

"Finally you get some good press," Bruce teased back.

"With your name? I don't think so bud!" Shayera shot back, punching his arm again. The fourth quarter went on. There were ten seconds left. The Rogues managed to get a turnover on the Monarchs but they were still within fifty yards from scoring a touchdown. The whole stadium went silent. It was fourth down as well so this meant this was the last play of the game.

The Rogue quarterback dropped back for a pass. Predictable, in situations like this the Hail Mary Pass was the only option. The ball went all the way to the goal line, heading toward the direction of one lone Rogue receiver surrounded by two Monarch defensive backs. By some miracle or pure dumb luck, the receiver managed to catch the pass and get in enough to break the plane, earning the Rogues the six points to win the game as the buzzer was heard.

The stadium went wild. For the first time in almost a decade, the Rogues had defeated their rivals. Probably the loudest was where Bruce and Shayera sat because Shayera was leading the cheers. Before Bruce knew it, he found himself absconded to the local restaurant across the street from the stadium celebrating with the fans. What happened next was much of a blur but he did recall him and Shayera having a great time leading the celebrations among the fans.

Finally Bruce realized it was getting late and he should escort Shayera back to at least a safe place where she could teleport. Besides he had to call Dick who went back to the Manor with Barbara and the car. They walking around the street corner, Shayera was still humming that stupid fight song. She was no near drunk. Thanagarians had a high tolerance for alcohol, but this was the most wild Bruce had ever seen her.

Shayera sensed Bruce was picking up on her somewhat immature behavior and laughed.

"I am sorry. I have not had this much fun in a while."

"Me too," Bruce said with sincerity. As much as he dreaded going on this date, he could not deny that he and Shayera had a blast. Perhaps he would go to football games more often.

But before Shayera could respond the two were interrupted by a drunken yell.

"Traitor bitch!" yelled an obvious intoxicated Monarch fan. Bruce groan, this was ruining a nice moment.

Shayera just sighed. Some things may never change, and she was content with that.

"Excuse me sir, I think you have had too much," Bruce said, not bother to hide the threat in his voice.

The drunken fan laughed.

"O you think you can take me? Mr. Tabloid?" The man proceeded to spit at Bruce's direction.

Shayera was really tempted to use all her might to beat that man to the pulp, but thought better of it. As Superman said, she was on thin ice.

"Come on Bruce, ignore him," Shayera said leading Bruce away who reluctantly followed her. The drunken man however attempted to follow and kept shouting insults.

"I guess you have it rock bottom Mr. Wayne when all you can date now is freakin' winged bitch who is such a cu-"

Before Shayera could blink, the man was out cold with Bruce standing angrily over him. Shayera's mouth was agape. She knew Bruce could easily knock the basturd out, but Bruce never showed that side when he was in playboy disguise. She was looking around to make sure no one saw.

"Bruce what did you do that for? I am used to it. You even have made it clear how you do not trust me still."

Bruce slowly looked at her, his anger subsiding. "It does not matter whether you deserve trust or not. You have done enough to earn respect at least. And this," he kicked the passed out drunk, "garbage did not respect you."

Shayera smiled. "So you do care."

Bruce muttered, "It happens," and continued to walk along the street. Shayera decided it was now or never to make her pitch.

"Bruce, when you said you had a good time be honest, did you?"

Bruce looked at her gently and sighed, "I did Shayera. Believe me I did not came here expecting to have a good time. I guess being Batman I thought I would never have fun again."

"Or have friends?" Shayera bluntly pointed in.

That earned a momentarily surprise look on Bruce's face.

"Bruce. Be honest with me, do you miss being part of the League? Do not worry I will not tell anyone."

Bruce sighed, if asked a month ago he probably would have just ran away or denied it, but the past few weeks had changed him. Made him more vulnerable. Being reunited with the batclan had opened his heart again, and he did not like it.

"I do. But it is too late. I pushed Clark and the rest of them away. Just like everybody else. I would not blame them for not taking me back after everything I have done. They all hate me and I-"

"That is not true! They love Bruce. Sure you piss them off majority of the time, but they all love you, especially Clark and Diana."

Bruce snorted at the mention of her name.

"Are you kidding me? Diana probably hates me the most."

Shayera sighed, he had a point there. "Ok maybe she does. But Clark and the rest still consider you a friend! You cannot forget old friends like that especially what we have all been thru together."

Bruce sighed, Shayera had a point. He tried to push them away and was failing miserably. The only result was everybody was getting hurt.

"But I do not know how. I cannot just waltz back up in the Watchtower like nothing's happened. Plus you know I am not big on emotional apologies."

Shayera furrowed her brow, she was tempted to offer Batman a way to return to the League without looking like he was being overly sentimental, but realized that it would still probably be too soon. Not when he was finally starting to have an epiphany.

Shayera instead smiled and kissed him on a cheek.

"You will find a way. You are the World's Greatest Detective."

Bruce smiled, "Thanks Shayera. Thank you for reminding me despite being the world's biggest ass, that I still somehow inexplicably still have friends."

Shayera laughed at the joke. She was about to call Mister Terrific to beam her up but Bruce gabbed her hand.

"Before you go, I have a question…"

Shayera had a feeling what he was going to ask.

"Ask her yourself Bruce when you do your date with her. Besides, Diana and I are not on good terms right now so I would be a little bias."

"But what do I do? Where should I-"

"That is for you to decide. What is she to you Bruce? Family? Friend? Or something else."

No answer, Shayera decided to call it a night and called Mister Terrific, within a blink she was gone, leaving a lonely Bruce thinking to himself at the street corner waiting for Dick to pick him up.

Shayera yawned and sighed as she stepped off the teleport platform, it was a long day. She needed a shower. She ignored Holt who was giving her a curious look and made her way to her room. She was so tired she did not at first realize someone was in her room when she entered, but only for a moment. Immediately she turned around ready to knock out the attacker but found her hands gripped by two strong ones.

"What the hell John? What are you doing here?"

"I was checking up on-"

"I have said this before Stewart, what I do in my life only concerns me. You gave that right up a long time ago!"

"Only because you broke our trust!" John shot back angrily.

That really did hurt Shayera but she did not show it. Instead her eyes lit aflame and she broke free from John's grip.

"Get out John, now!"

"I was-"

"NOW!" she shrieked, the man was already damaging her heat enough. It was best if he just left. However John did not leave but just stood there.

Shayera took a step forward to John who was taller than her but not by much.

"You are so pathetic," she whispered harshly.

No answer, John continued to give her an impassive stare. That infuriated Shayera even more. She was determined to get a reaction out of him.

"Guess what, me and Bruce kissed at the game," she said wickedly. John's eyes widen in shock for a fraction of a second but quickly resumed their apathetic look.

"So?"

"Oh do not act like it does not bother you, why are you here?"

"I am just being concerned for a co-"

"Is that what I am to you? A co-worker? Well at least you acknowledge my existence in your life," Shayera replied sarcastically.

John sighed, although he did not show it, he was terrified on the inside. Scared of what he was doing here, scared that if he trusted her again she would break his heart again, but most of all scared how this was going horribly wrong and he was pushing her away, forever.

"I never would forget you Shayera," John whispered softly.

Shayera's blood boiled in that remark, she was sick and tired of this man. And yet despite everything, she still loved him.

"I hate you!" she shouted.

Still no reply from John who kept staring her down.

"Get out!" Shayera yelled again pointing to his door. John did not move, he was at lost. He had ruined it, maybe for good, yet his heart kept screaming he still had a chance.

"Do you hear what I said? Get ou-oompf!" Shayera yelled before John grabbed her and violently threw her against the wall, his arms pinning her shoulders.

Shayera, in spite of her pride, could not help notice how her heart rate was rising, and this was not due to the sudden unexpected response from John. She hated herself how her body seemed to be betraying her mind.

"What are you doing?" angrily.

John responded by kissing her. It was not a sweet kiss, but instead very violent and passionate. The two were locked in a crazy frenzy of love. A love that tried to be buried all this time only to re-emerge now. Finally John needed air and reluctantly broke the kiss.

"I am showing you how a real man loves a woman," he growled in his deep voice.

Shayera grin wickedly, and before John could respond, she had broke his hold and aggressively tackled him onto her bed.

"I got to warn you, I do not play nice," Shayera responded.

John grabbed her by the neck and quickly brought her down to him as the two resumed their violent act of passion.


	30. In A Million Years

Dick parked in the driveway as he finally got Bruce back to the manor. Barbara was crashing for the night so hopefully they did not wake her. That is if she went to sleep. Dick had a feeling she wanted to talk to Bruce still. He had a feeling Bruce was not in the talkative mood though. He did not say a word the entire drive back. It was not Bruce being his usual silent self though. Instead it almost looked like he was distracted by something else.

The two men exited the car and made their way to the main foyer in the manor. Dick's prediction was right, Barbara was there waiting for both of them. Dick sighed, this was going to be a long night. During the game she just enjoyed messing with Bruce, but now that they were in private back in the manor, who knew how she was going to react now.

"Barbara."

"Bruce."

For a while the two just stared at each other, neither saying a word. Just when Dick began to consider butting in to say something, Bruce opened his mouth.

"How are things?" he asked.

Dick's head shot toward Bruce so fast he was surprised he did not break his own neck. Was Bruce seriously acting concern and considerate?

If Barbara was surprised as Dick she did not show it.

"Good. I got a new boyfriend now. I am thinking of actually joining the police force upstate."

"That's nice," said Bruce sounding like he was in pain. Did it hurt him that much to be nice to people?

"How is your father?"

"He's been better. His cancer's in remission."

Dick was totally baffled by the exchange going before him. Bruce kicked her out of the house and broke her heart and yet the two were talking casually as if nothing had happened.

"How's Tim?" Barbara asked. Dick already told her, but she wanted to hear this from Bruce.

"Good. In fact he's coming back to the Manor this Saturday."

"So I have heard."

Finally the inevitable awkward pause had appeared. For a moment Dick was worried he would need to say something or the two would just stand there staring at each other indefinitely.

"Look Barbara. I know I was emotionally distant and pushed you and others a way. And for that I am sorry. I understand if you do not want to forgive me, but I would love it if you came back down here this Saturday for Tim. He would love to see you again and it would mean a lot to him."

Barbara smiled, "Of course Bruce."

"Ok then, well I have to get ready for patrol…" Bruce said before he just wandered off toward the grandfather clock to make his way to the cave.

Dick looked toward where Bruce had departed and back at Barbara with the most confused look on his face.

"What the hell was that all about?"

"He apologized, I forgave him, and we moved on."

"Wha-? But you did not say anything and I thought you hated him!"

Barbara rolled her eyes, "Dick its Bruce. You never need to say anything to him. He knew I forgave him. Besides unlike you, I did not flip out like a punk every other day. Sometimes I think you do not understand him."

"I have lived with him the longest, I do understand him. What he did to you, Tim, and me, push us all away was unjustifiable."

"That may be so, but he had the right intentions. He was grieving Dick, he needed some time. He eventually-"

"No, Zatanna got him to come out of his shell."

"That may be, but regardless, I realized it was not worth holding a grudge and being angry; sometimes it is better to forgive and let the wounds heal. Besides, Tim needs us all to stick together. If I recall, Alfred once called us all family."

Dick smiled, he really did miss Alfred.

Barbara sighed, "It's a shame that he's not around anymore. I am sure Alfred would be overjoyed to see Bruce has changed."

"Let's hope its fort the better and not the worse though," Dick said as he exited to go upstairs and take a shower. He was not in the mood to patrol the south side tonight. Unlike Bruce, he never saw a problem in taking the day off once and a while. Never in a million years would Batman take a day off.

Shayera woke up to find herself a little cold. For a minute she was full of anxiety and thought that John had walked out on her but then calmed down when she rolled over and felt John's sleeping form next to her. She gave a sigh of relief and wrapped her arms around the sleeping man. She could not believe that against all odds, they were together again. Hopefully this time forever. Never did Shayera feel like she could be this happy and at ease again, at least for a million years.

John started to stir and he rolled over in Shayera's embrace so that he was facing her now.

"What time is it?" he said while attempting to stifle a yawn.

"Who cares?" she muttered. We got all the time in the world now."

John grin at her remark and made to get out of bed.

"I am going to take a shower. How about we get something to eat later today?"

"I would like that John."

John cracked another smile, she calling him by his first name more often now.

Shayera got out of bed when he left and stretched. Yesterday was a great day for her. Not only had she and John got back together but she had a great time at the football game. But the best part was, she got Bruce to actually have a little fun. She got him to remember what was like to have friends, to enjoy being around people. Zatanna was right, it was better to make Bruce realize the values of friendship than try to force him to open up.

And that was when she remembered the original purpose of her mission. She was supposed to see if he would come to the Founder's Meeting tonight and help with them on the case. She better act quickly. She checked her clock and found it was one o'clock eastern time. That meant Bruce was probably at work.

Shayera, deciding to mess with him a little more, dialed his private number again.

"What?" said a very sleepy voice on the other line.

"I thought you would be at work."

"Took the day off. After what happened yesterday, I needed a rest."

Shayera smirked.

"Hey Bruce you know how we talked yesterday. And you said you do not think the others would accept you back again-"

"It's too late Shayera. Too late for that."

Shayera swore under breath, he was a stubborn mule sometimes.

"Alight look. We are having the usual Founder's Meeting tonight. We are investigating a case. It has ties to Gotham and recently stolen artifacts-"

"One of them the Eye of Montezuma?" Bruce asked. He was interested now.

"Yeah. And look the Question suggested that you could probably help us since Gotham is your-"

"Oh I see, you guys need my help and you are too proud to ask so they send you to try to loosen me-"

"No do not go there. If we really wanted your help, I would have personally dragged you here kicking and screaming. I am actually trying to be nice and give you an opportunity to reconnect with the rest of your friends without forsaking your pride, manhood, or whatever is preventing you from seeing them again."

For a minute she only got complete silence and thought maybe the call got dropped. Finally she heard a reluctant sigh.

"Fine I will come tonight, but only because you really need my help. This is for professional reasons only!" he said angrily and hung up. Shayera smirked, she had gotten him. Of course he would never admit it, but he wanted to be with the League, his friends again. She could not believe how in the span of a month things seem to be looking good. Well not completely, her friendship with Diana was a little strained still. She sighed; maybe they would work it out, in like a million years.


	31. The Return

Superman appeared on the Watchtower, an hour early for tonight's meeting. He always liked to be early, better than being late. Even though he was Superman, some habits the Kents instilled in him still lasted. He was hoping to go to the meeting room and write some articles for the Daily Planet to past the time only to find Shayera was there waiting for him.

"Ha, I knew you would be here early! Always the boy scout!"

Superman cringed at the nickname, he really hated it. It made him sound like a softy.

"What is it Shayera?"

"I did it," she said with triumph.

"What?" he asked confused, forgetting the talk he gave her last week.

"Do I need to spell it out? Batman's coming back."

"What? You got him to agree to come?" Now he remembered. He honestly did not expect her, out of all people to be successful to drag Batman back to the League. He was pretty sure Batman hated her.

"Yea, I mean he makes it sound like he is reluctant and only doing this because we need his help, but when was the last time he was willing to help?"

Superman chuckled at that remark. "What did you do to convince him to come?"

"Easy, I reminded him he still had friends," she said with a smile and left the room to grab a snack, leaving Superman confused again.

Superman went up to Holt who was as usual monitoring the monitors and teleport controls.

"Shouldn't the founders meeting be starting?" he asked. As the Question teleported up.

"Ah good you are here Question. Head to the founder's room, the meeting will start in a few minutes."

"Did you get him to come?"

"I will explain everything later, just get over there."

The Question did what he was told and made his way to the founder's meeting room, hoping if Batman did come, they would actually get help on this case and not another fight.

Superman then gave instructions to Holt, whispering softly in his hear so no one could hear.

Holt showed a little surprise but nodded and Superman left him in the room alone as he unlocked the teleporter to allow Batman to transport himself to the cave.

Batman was coming, tonight.

Batman stood in his cave, carrying a lap top that contain all information on the stolen artifacts that he collected on. Nightwing stood by smirking.

"I still cannot believe you are letting me cover patrol tonight."

"This is only temporary. I am doing the League a favor and getting out again. My concern is the crimes in Gotham, not in the world."

"If you say so, but would it kill you to admit you need help?"

Batman glared and touched the commlink he had not worn in over a year. He wondered why he even still had it.

"Batman to Watchtower," he said n his command voice.

"This is Mister Terrific, go ahead."

"Get ready one for transport, location Batcave."

"Got it, welcome back Batman," Mister Terrific muttered just as Batman felt his molecules be pulled apart and reassembled on the teleporter pad.

Batman glared at the man and stormed out of the Monitor Womb, hoping he could make it to the Founder's Room and out before anyone else spotted him. Unfortunately the founder's room was the farthest point away from the Monitor Womb. In fact it was on the opposite level.

Batman immediately regretted choosing that design. He also wished there was a national disaster going on because it seemed the full League roster was hanging out at the Watchtower. Was the Metro Tower broken or something?

At first no one seem to notice but then Booster Gold who was in a conversation with his stupid robot got up from his table and gasped. That attracted everyone's attention in the cafeteria. All eyes were on him now. Some shocked, some confused, especially from the new members who were added after he left. To them Batman was just a legend, a symbol. And he was strolling down the hallway calmly like nothing happened. Batman walked thru the cafeteria ignoring everyone, not breaking his stride. He was up in the next level when he caught another large group of League members by the med bay looking something up. One of the civilian doctors noticed him and immediately everybody stopped what they were doing to stare at him.

Idiots, what if someone was in the middle of surgery?

He stomped a little faster, he was almost there. Hopefully he did not run into anyone. Unfortunately he heard familiar voices coming from an open area. Ollie and Dinah. They were going over wedding plans. There was no way around them to the meeting room. If he snuck along just quiet enough maybe he could avoid them.

"Alright, so of course for the public wedding we invite just your civilian friends and my civilian friends. Our families can attend both, you know for the League private wedding. Vic's going to be the best man for the League wedding-"

Dinah had turned her head just in time to catch sight of Batman sneaking along the hallway, which caused her to choke and spit out the drink she just sipped in.

"Hey baby comes on, he is my best friend in the League," an oblivious Arrow said.

"Not him you idiot, Bruce!"

"What you want that jerk to come too?"

"No he's here. He just passed us."

"Wait Batman's here? The Batman who swore to never work with the League again?"

Batman hurried his pace a little as he heard the engaged couple discuss his return. The last thing he needed was a conversation with Green Arrow. He finally made to the outside of the meeting room but stop himself.

This was it. Even though he liked to say this was temporary, he knew there was no going back now. The minute he would accept to work with the League, he could not resign again. It would be too difficult to try it a second time. Sighing he made his choice, stepping inside not sure if he was making the right choice.

"Why are you here again?" asked Wally curiously to the Question who awkwardly stood by Superman's empty seat.

"I am surprised as you are. Superman just called me and told me I was needed here."

"Have you found anything new about Maxwell Stein?" asked Diana. She did not want them to have to ask a certain Gothamite's help.

Shayera noticed the hopefulness in her voice and chuckled, the Amazon was going to be in for a nice surprise.

"Nope," the detective said defeated, "This guy does not want to be found."

"Does anyone else get the feeling we are just going in circles here?" asked John who was subtly closer to Shayera now.

"Yeah I mean we even considered bringing in you-know-who for help," joked the Flash. It was a bad joke because no one was laughing. J'onn was telepathically communicating to the Flash at the moment, scolding him for his bad joke.

Finally Superman entered the room and the founders and the Question all turn to watch him as he took a seat.

"Last week, thanks to the Question's efforts we have made a breakthrough in Diana's mystery."

"Yeah and it led to more questions, it's like that stupid island show with all the-"

Shayera nudged John to shut up, he complied.

The Question spoke up, "But as I said we are back to square one because the only person who could explain this is nowhere to be found."

"True."

"So what do we do now? Engage in the biggest game of hide and seek since Bin Laden?" whined the Flash.

"Superman, I must admit, even though it is my mission, I am not too optimistic about finding this Mr. Stein, or receiving outside help for the time being," Diana countered, making sure to emphasize the last part.

Shayera smirked; Diana was in for a rude awakening.

Superman paused, thinking how to go on and then continued, "I know last week we talked about seeking outside help from someone in Gotham since a lot of these artifacts were stolen in there-"

"You mean Batman?" asked Flash, pointing out the obvious as usual.

Superman nodded slowly.

"I will admit I was not too optimistic about this, but thanks to the efforts of Shayera, Batman, has agreed to come back to the League on temporary status to help us with this-"

"Whoa wait! Batman's coming back?" interrupted Flash in surprise. Everyone in the room other than Superman and Shayera looked shocked at this bombshell. Even the Question in his mask was showing blatant surprise.

Diana looked like she was trying to hide her anger.

"When is he coming?" asked John curiously.

"Right now," said a deep hoarse baritone that caused all seven leaguers to jump. Standing in the corner was none other than the infamous Batman, glaring at all of them. To some this was the first time they saw Batman up close since his resignation, to others, this was the first time they saw Bruce up close in the Batman costume. For awhile no one spoke, no one daring to even attempt to loosen the tension.

Batman however seemed unfazed and walked slowly to his empty seat and sat down, ignoring the dagger look Diana was given him.

"Uh-yes, allow me to welcome back-"

"Skip the introductions Clark, I am not here for pleasantries," he snapped while sliding his laptop to Superman, signaling him to plug it in. Superman took the hint and began to hook the laptop to the big monitor in the meeting room. Batman then got up again and typed in multiple passwords, pretty soon, the entire audience was looking at what seem to be countless of files.

"Over the past months, Gotham has experienced a recent thread of murders and thefts, all connected to strange ancient religious artifacts. First, a professor of Greek mythology was slain. Whatever it was it was probably some Greek artifact, like a shield or-"

"Something like this?" the Question said, producing the picture of the shield that led him to the breakthrough of this case.

Batman examined it and nodded, "Yes I am not surprise if this was it. I will explain later."

Batman cleared his throat and continued, "Then a nun at a Catholic church was slain after she just received a package from the Vatican, it was supposed to be some ancient chalice that the Vatican had. However, the Vatican had reported the chalice missing, so either they are covering it up or the thieves stole it and smuggled it to Gotham, using the nun."

"Why do you think this connected to Gotham?" asked Shayera curiously.

Batman sighed, he did not want to admit this about his city to his founders but he relented, "Gotham has always been the capital of smuggling, if you want to get something into America, Gotham is the best bet. It is probably coincidence."

"I thought you don't believe in coincidence, Bruce," Superman said, grinning a little at Batman's reaction to that remark. Batman shot a batglare but Superman seemed unfazed, he was tired of relenting to his friend.

The Question cleared his throat to ask Batman to continue, Batman gave the table one last glare and continued with his presentation.

"The most recent theft was the eye of Montezuma, an object said to not only possess destructive power but also gives the gift of foresight and the location of a destructive weapon or something. The problem is it requires human sacrifice, so no one has really bothered to test the usefulness of this weapon."

"But the eye also was at one point in possession of the Vatican as well?" asked J'onn suspiciously.

"Only because the Spanish brought it back," explained Bruce. "The chalice seems to be connected to more Arabic or Hebrew origin and the Eye itself is exactly connected to Egyptian origin."

"Wait time out, isn't Montezuma an Aztec?" Flash asked, confused as ever.

"Yes, but it originated from Egypt, however according to legend, a fiery bird, possibly a phoenix, carried it over the ocean and dropped it in the Central American jungle to keep it separate."

"Separate from what?" John inquired.

Batman sighed it was time to come clean, "I did not get this source about the eye from research, Zatanna managed to get a contact of hers in the occult-"

"Wait you used Zatanna even though you wanted nothing to do with the League?" Diana shouted, finally speaking. Glaring at Batman for his hypocrisy.

Superman gently gestured to Diana to sit back down which she did reluctantly while still engaging Batman in a glaring match.

Batman, although he was supposed to be addressing the League, seem to be only addressing Diana, "I asked Zatanna's help as a favor. As you know not all her activities are representative of the League."

"Batman," Superman said sternly, "Please continue."

Batman relented, "Zatanna's contact basically explained not only of the eye's true origins but that it was part of a set of four artifacts. The eye, the shield, the chalice, and a sword. So far two or three out of four have been found-"

"And you think the sword is the last item?"

"Yes I believe so. The sword is said to be of Norse origin. When the objects are united, they will unleash this destructive power the eye speaks of."

"Have you any idea who is behind the thievery?" Shayera asked, determine to get to the bottom of this.

"There was an attempt of theft on the eye a week before it was stolen. According to thief, she never knew who hired her. I have reason to suspect the same group are the ones who stole it."

Diana's mind was racing. There was only one she, the Amazon could think of.

"Who was the thief?" asked an obviously dense Flash.

J'onn again shot him a telepathic warning but it was too late, all eyes were on Batman with interest. Batman seemed to stiffen for a second but resumed his blank stare and calmly stated, "Catwoman. Do not worry about her. She was just hired."

Diana smirked at the arrogant man's moment of weakness. Flash still was not getting the subtle signs.

"But you let her-"

"Moving on. I talked to the Penguin whose club is next door to the museum. He also did not bring much information on the group other than they seem to act like a cult because they apparently take orders from someone called the master."

Superman raised an eyebrow, "Do you think Ra's-"

"Not his style," Batman cut off. If he was planning something his ego would not allow him to stay quiet too long. He would have challenged me or any of you by this point. Besides, the last time I fought him, his whole organization was destroyed; it would take years for him to build it back up."

"Who else do you think is involved Batman?" J'onn said, hoping to keep all these minds focused on the main topic.

"The owner of the eye, Maxwell Stein,"

A picture of an old man came up on the screen.

"He came to claim the eye after the aborted theft attempt. Unfortunately it was stolen before he could take it personally. I only talked to the man once, but from what I gathered he did believe someone was after it and there was a larger conspiracy at play."

"Have you been able to-"

"I realized he would be too smart and paranoid to be tracked. However I did put a short range tracker on his cane when I visited him. The tracker has such short of wavelength; any attempts he makes to jam out longer ranger trackers will miss it. The problem is one has to be within a mile radius to detect the tracker."

"So in other words not even you know where he is?" the Question said in his calm voice.

Batman paused, looking a little embarrassed and nodded. However, he immediately put on the batglare again and looked at the assembly of heroes before him.

"I have given you my notes, so let me see yours."

It was not a request. Batman went to take his seat as the Question got up and plugged in his laptop.

"A few weeks ago, Wonder Woman visited her home. She was visited by her gods. They told her something had changed and that the world was in danger earlier than it should have been. They told she must investigate this new threat on her own. They gave her two artifacts,"

As the Question spoke, images of the dusty glass vial and the old staff appeared.

"Have you examined it?" Batman asked, even though he knew the Question probably already did five times.

"Yes Mister Terrific, myself, and the others seem to not be able to detect anything ordinary about them. Etrigan was able to sense what felt like old magic, but it was like it was hidden, buried deep. He also remarked the staff felt more Egyptian than Greek."

"Is there anything else about the staff?"

The Question nodded and zoomed in on the picture of the staff. Batman immediately noticed it had similar style of writing the shield he showed Batman earlier.

"This is how we made the breakthrough. I noticed a shield that was missing since the 1800's, so I decided it was worthy to look at. I noticed the writing was in similar style to the staff. From there, I learned a Greek artifact was stolen in Gotham. That piqued my interest and I noticed that two other thefts were in Gotham. When I was researching Maxwell Stein, I noticed he had some irregularities in his deliveries…"

"How did you hack those files? They are encrypted tenfold over, it would take years for a supercomputer to hack them," Batman asked, angry that they found something he could not. That caused some of the founders to smirk. Like it or not, Batman could not deny he needed the League's help.

"Mister Terrific found the pattern. It's base off an old Beatle song he is a fan of. He did not think it was important though."

That earned a few giggles from the Founders. Sometimes Batman's science was not good enough.

"Anyways, I was looking over the deliveries and realized there was no pattern. It was almost as if Stein was trying to hide something among those random deliveries and constantly move it over and over. I wanted to ask Stein myself but he has gone off the grid."

Batman sat there relaying the events he was told. The Question and the League had pretty much made as much progress as he in a shorter time span. Maybe working with the League and its resources was worth having to put up with the others.

"Were there any other gifts from Diana's gods?" he asked, making sure he added his disbelief at the word gods.

There was an awkward silence. Diana shifted uncomfortably and sighed. She looked around the table save for the man in black to her right and addressed them, completely ignoring her right side.

"Aphrodite touched my heart and said that was a gift as well," she explained, determine to not make eye contact with him, even though she was really only explaining this information to him since the others already knew about it.

Batman snorted, which finally got Diana to look at him. Her eyes were filled with vitriol and pure anger. She probably was going to tear Batman's kevlar in half if Superman had not stood up to speak.

"The bottom line is with both intel we have collected we can get the bottom of this. The staff Diana received is in similar style to that the shield the Question noticed. Due to timing of events I think we can say it was the shield that was stolen in Gotham"

"And you all think this is connected?" asked Flash trying to wrap his brain on all the information just given.

Batman stood up again to address the table.

"Whoever is behind this, they are looking for the fourth object, which is probably the sword. Stein probably keeps it hidden very well if he believes what this legend says about these objects is true. The priority should be to find Stein."

"I have already tried. This man is good at covering his tracks," the Question explained.

Batman looked at the Question who seemed to understand now.

"Are we missing something here?" John asked.

"The tracker he put on is short range, but if we use the Watchtower's communications we can track him."

"You mean like spying on people by a satellite?" said Superman uncomfortably. They had just recovered from the Cadmus affair a few years ago.

Batman shook his head, "The Watchtower will not tap in any communications, rather it will pick up the signal. The problem is the signal is short range so in order for the Watchtower to check it, it has to be precisely within a mile of the signal range."

Wally raised his hand to butt in, "That sounds great and all but you do realize it will take forever to scour every mile radius over the globe."

The Question scoffed, "Batman intends us to try to determine where Stein is and then use the Watchtower to confirm. It may take a few trial by errors, but it's better than trying to scan every inch of the planet."

Superman decided he had all the information stood up again to address the meeting.

"So it is settled, Question and Mister Terrific will attempt to try to track Stein down. Batman can you-"

"Got it," Batman interrupted as he went to grab his laptop and shut it down.

"Alright. Diana will also work with you because it is her c-"

Batman almost dropped his laptop and looked at Superman in shock. Diana was given a similar look.

"What?"

"You heard me, Bruce," Superman said. It was not a suggestion. "Diana brought this to our attention so she has every right to work on this case with you. The rest of us will resume our other commitments, but do not forget this case is a priority. We are talking about potentially world ending consequences. Is that going to be a problem?"

Diana wanted to say something but decided it would not be worth it to let the man next to her get under her skin again.

"No."

Superman nodded then looked at Batman. For a second it seemed all of time had stopped. Shayera was afraid Batman was going to turn the table over in a temper tantrum but by miracle, his hard glare slacked against Superman's.

"No," he muttered softly, but still venomously.

Superman appeared satisfied and dismissed the meeting. Batman and Superman were the last ones in the room. Batman appeared to want to say a few private words with Superman.

"What is it Batman?" Superman asked feigning ignorance.

"You should not have done that Kent. I came up here to help, not play with fire.

"This is Diana's case too, she has much investment in it as you do. Am I going to have to play chaperone?"

"No but-"

"Then I do not see the problem with it."

Batman glared again but decided this was going nowhere and made to leave but Superman stopped him.

"For what is worth Bruce, it's good to have you back."

"This only temporary I only came up here because this is my case as well."

"If you say so," the Man of Steel said giving Batman a knowing look before patting him gently on the shoulder.

"You know we all missed you."

No response from Batman, he could have been a statue.

"We do respect for whatever reasons you had at the time, but just remember Bruce, we are here to help you. We are your friends and you are stuck with us."

Still no answer, for a second Superman wanted to hit him for being such an asshole but thought better of it.

"But if I were you I would try to make your peace with Diana. In case you have forgotten, you two have a date to go on."

And with that the Kryptonian exited the room to leave the caped crusader stumped.


	32. Awkward Appearances

To anyone one who never was in the League, the current situation in the Monitor Womb seemed normal. But to everyone else, it was a sight to see. Batman, the Batman, was standing in the Monitor Womb working with the League.

When his presence was first spotted in the Watchtower the rumors went flying, but once Booster Gold walked by the Monitor Womb and saw the sight before him, the rumors had reached beyond the stars.

Many members were worried. If the League was investigating something so bad they need to bring back Batman, how bad was it?

What did not help quash the rumors was the fact that Batman was working with Wonder Woman as well. Of course the incident with Bruce Wayne and the date auction was already juicy. But now that Bruce was actually working with the League as Batman made many people curious.

"I bet it's blackmail!" Booster Gold said to a table of anyone who happen to hear him.

Etrigan snorted at that remark, "Please I know the guy, and if you tried blackmailing him he would find dirt on you ten times worse."

"He did go on a date with Hawkgirl though. Maybe she said something to him," Vigilante brought up.

"I always found Batman rogue and self-centered, never understood the concept of team. But I will admit he is gifted like no one else. Perhaps the League really needed his services," Sir Justin said as he joined the conversation.

"I gotta feeling Question is behind it. I am going to ask him when I get the chance," Green Arrow said a little bitter. Batman was his friend and why have he not talked to him for a year?

All of sudden the doors opened and Flash walked in to grab some caffeine. Immediately he was absconded and surrounded by all the curious members in the cafeteria, hopeful the Scarlet Speedster would let his infamous mouth give away too much information.

Flash however was more alert this time.

"Can't tell you guys. Sorry, top secret stuff."

"I thought we were seen as all equals…"someone complained.

"Sorry look. Superman has decided to keep a tight lid on it, if you want to, go talk to him."

It did marvel somehow Flash was able to keep control. It was visible he wanted to join in the gossip.

Booster Gold gave Green Arrow a look.

"How much alcohol do we have in the fridge?"

"Not enough to get that guy's metabolism buzzed," muttered the Green Arrow defeated.

The doors open again and B'wanna Beast stepped in followed by Zatanna.

"Yo dudes what's up?"

"Over hear bud!" Arrow shouted, beckoning to two seats next to him. He was friendly with B'wanna Beast, but as of right now, he was more interested to see if the man's new girlfriend could explain why Batman was back.

That was surprisingly not that big of a deal when word got out. When people heard that Zatanna and B'wanna Beast were now a couple, many shrugged the shoulders and did not care. Zatanna however did start making more frequent appearances on the Watchtower now to visit her boyfriend. Most of the League members found her mysterious and a little scary because of her reputation. Now though, many people would talk to her and approach her. Due to Shayera and Diana fighting, she was a rising star in the League social circle. Pretty soon, she knew everyone to the point she could name their alter egos.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked politely as she sat down and Mike went to go get some food for them.

"Batman's back," Booster Gold blurted out. Arrow meant to kick him at the table but accidently kicked Etrigan who let out a hiss in pain.

"O really?" Zatanna said, showing no surprise by the news.

"That's it?" asked Booster Gold again. Arrow this time aimed right when he went to kick the idiot for his tactlessness again.

"What we are trying to ask my good lady is we have not seen Batman since his resignation. We were just wondering because you seem to have a friendly relationship and went on a date with him as well, that maybe you can explain to us," Justin asked politely.

Zatanna gave a cryptic smile and played dumb, "I respect Batman's privacy too much to go into detail. All I can say is I think he is changing. He is willing to be more open instead of his usual isolated and withdrawn self."

"Zana," Arrow said looking at her concerned. "You do realize who we are talking about."

Zatanna looked right back into his eyes, "Of course I know. I know and understand probably more than any of you ever will. Trust me, Bruce has changed."

"Yeah I mean he and Wondy are probably kissing and making up right now…"

That got a subtle reaction out of Zatanna, she was more interested now.

"What?"

Arrow glared at Booster and explained to the witch, "Batman and Wonder Woman are working on a case right now in the Monitor Womb."

Zatanna got up excitedly; she needed to see if her plan was working.

"Where are you going?"

"To say hello, tell Mike I will be right back," and she took off before they could call her back. She was hurrying down there as fast as she could, partly because she was eager to see Batman finally reunited with Wonder Woman but also because it just occurred to her what damage could be cause by the two of them were alone together.

On her way to the Monitor Womb she passed Shayera and John.

"O hey Shy!" she called back, not noticing that the two were holding hands earlier.

"Z! Wait!" Zatanna stopped as Shayera told John to wait for her as she approached the out of breath sorceress.

"How did it go?" asked Zatanna, not giving Shayera a chance to explain.

Shayera, in a very uncharacteristic move for herself gave Zatanna a hug, surprising her.

"What was that for?"

"For everything Z! You were right, Bruce was redeemable after all."

"I thought you might be the reason why he is here now."

Shayera nodded, "Yeah, but I don't know how you are going to fix him and Diana, they are trying so hard to not interact with each other."

"He just needs a little shove. Now that he admits he has friends, all it takes for him to admit he can love."

"I doubt that, he's never allowed himself to. But anyways, if it was not for you, another relationship may have not been fixed."

"What are you talking about?"

Shayera showed Zatanna a ring on her finger.

"Wha-?"

"John proposed! We got back together last night!"

"And he proposed to you right after?"

"No he just did. It's his grandmother's ring! He said he was saving it for me before we broke up. He decided that we are back together there is no point of waiting now."

"Is he alright?" Zatanna asked, looking over Shayera's shoulder to see a very uncomfortable John shifting around.

"Yeah he could not even say it. I am making him do it again tonight when he takes me out to dinner."

"Wait you are making-"

"Don't judge me! I need this!" Shayera said defensively. "Well we gotta go, see you Z!"

And before Zatanna could react, she grabbed a clearly uncomfortable John ahead of Zatanna to the teleporter bay. Zatanna was still standing still. How things had change. A few months ago, other than Arrow and Canary, none of these relationships were going right, now everyone was pretty much getting married now. Maybe someday that would be her and Mike, but right now they were just dating. They still had all the time in the world.

Finally collecting her thoughts, she entered the Monitor Womb, passing the teleporters. John and Shayera had just been teleported to John's apartment.

Zatanna looked at the sight before and was trying hard to not laugh. Question and Mister Terrific were really close to the controls to the point they were almost leaning on them, indicating they did not want to be anywhere near the center of the room occupied by two adults. Wonder Woman was looking over some texts but her eyes were not reading. Occasionally she would shoot an evil glare to the other occupant in the room.

Batman meanwhile was examining a wooden staff muttering under his breath at a table with some equipment. But he was not really examining it, he was distracted. After she saw Batman run the same test for the fourth time, she decided it was time to cut the tension.

"Hello Batman."

Immediately all eyes were on her as if she were in a library and just started shouting. For a second the witch started regretting her boldness but decided to hold her ground.

"Zatanna," Batman said not taking his eyes off her. Zatanna however was more focused on the other woman in the room.

"And it is good to see you again Diana. What brings you up here?"

Diana was angry at Zatanna, but angrier at Batman at the moment so she decided to be less mean to Zatanna.

"Batman and I are looking over some artifacts for a case. He is just here for the week."

"I said I was here temporarily, not how long I was going to stay," Batman growled.

"O well excuse me that I forgot you have a habit of just popping in and out of our lives when you feel like with complete disregard to our own feelings!" she shot back, almost tearing the text she reading into shreds. Holt and Vic, if it were possible, seem to have leaned even more against the control panel. Zatanna could tell they were still listening though.

"Well I hate to break up this investigation going on here, but I need to borrow Batman for a second, do any of you mind?"

Diana just went back to reading the text; that was a good enough answer for Zatanna. She looked over at the two men cowering in the corner who both shook their heads very fast. Lastly her eyes were back on Batman who begrudgingly began to step forward towards her. Zatanna smiled, she was winning this long battle.

Eventually she led her and Batman to a private area in the Watchtower. Whispering the muffler spell, she ensured they would have privacy while they talked.

"So, are you by chance working on the case I helped you on earlier?"

If Batman was surprised by her deductive skills he did not show it. Instead he gave her the usual apathetic stare.

"That is none of your-"

"Save it Bruce. I do not care anyways, just curious. I am more concerned about her. Have you talked to her?"

"We were just comparing our notes…"

"O come on! That is not talking. Did you actually ask her about herself? How she is doing? What has she got planned the next few weeks? Bruce you have to go on a date with her lest you forgot! It would be a lot easier for both of you if you showed a little effort!"

"What is there to show? You saw us in the room! Clark, Shayera, the others, I may have a chance to be friends with them again, but her and myself? We are done!"

"That's because she was never your friend Bruce! She was something more, something that you would never allow yourself to have with anyone! But even if you will not admit it, you can still be friends with each other. I did not see two people who hate each other, instead I saw to little immature children unwilling to be adults and apologize. For being such big superheroes, you both can be little kids sometimes."

And with that a more frustrated Zatanna stormed off in a huff. It was better to leave Bruce alone for the moment and let her words sink into him. Talking to him was just making her frustrated. She was hoping Mike would be ready for a rough night together, because she needed an outlet right now.

Meanwhile Batman stood still like a stone statue, unwilling to move. He probably would have stayed there forever if Superman did not suddenly appear around the corner.

"What were you two talking about?"

"Spying Kent?"

Superman rolled his eyes, "Please I know you better. You would have something that would block my super hearing from listening in on you. As for Zatanna I am sure she casted a spell or something. I just saw her storming off in the other direction, figured you would have something to do with it."

"We were just having a disagreement on something. Do not worry I will apologize to her."

"Well you should apologize to Diana first."

Batman glared at the Kryptonian. Why did he not have that sliver of Kryptonite with him?

"Just a thought Bruce, it would make it a lot easier to work with her."

Damn him, why did he have to be right?

"See you around," and like Zatanna, Clark had left Batman to brood to himself. They both were right, he should apologize to Diana, she deserved it. But that would be risky. What would happen next? Would his heart open up to her in ways he never opened up to anyone else before? Would his heart be able to withstand the wounds of rejection?

Of course it would. The Bat in his head could easily squash those feelings when needed. But lately, with Tim moving back in, him rejoining the League, he was not so sure he could control his feelings anymore, especially around her.

One thing was certain, logically if he did not do something, he would not get anything done. It would be better to apologize to her and set up their date. At least he could give her closure.

He made his way back to the Monitor Womb.


	33. The Talk

"Wonder Woman, can I have a word?" said a voice on the other end of the room. Diana looked up. There was no way he wanted to talk to her. But there he was, standing at the doorway. Whatever Zatanna said must have knocked some sense into him.

"About?" she said coldly. She was not going to give up easily.

Batman looked tempted to glare at her but instead it softened, almost to a pleading look.

Finally she relented, and got up. As much as she wanted to, she did not want him to beg. Especially in front of other people.

She got up and followed the Dark Knight out of the room leaving Mister Terrific and the Question finally able to catch their breath and talk.

"For a minute I thought we were going to die."

"We are not out of the woods yet Holt. It could depend on all what they talk about."

"I had no idea there was that much tension between them. I mean I heard rumors they had a fling but wow. This is like a full blown soap opera."

"Worse. At least the viewers are not in danger as they watch the drama unfold like us."

Holt snorted and checked his watch.

"I am going to take a break, let me know if something comes up."

Holt got up and stretched and exited the room, leaving the Question to himself.

Feeling guilty, the Question tapped in the camera feed, trying to find Diana and Batman. Finally he found them, both staring each other down in a corridor, neither one willing to speak first. The Question thought he saw a flicker of movement on Batman's hands before all the camera feeds went out.

"Knew it! Knew he was behind it!" the Question said, half-excited that he solved the mystery of the broken feeds but disappointed he was not going to see what would unfold. However as luck would have it something did caught his attention.

Using Holt's probability analysis and the combine research of Batman and the Question on Stein, they had sent the Watchtower satellite, combing over the North American continent for likely locations in hopes of picking up the short range signal.

In reality, they were not sure how long it would take. It could have taken an hour, or even a week if Stein was in another country. It looked like they finally had a hit.

Question was tempted to call Holt back in but then hesitated. A guy like Stein, paranoid, dedicated his whole life to protecting one thing, would probably not be willing to cooperate with the League. In fact he would not be surprised if Stein would trust the League at all. They were approaching this wrong, they should have been more subtle. But his wife demanded he work with League approval, well he was, technically.

Deciding he would eventually tell the League after talking to Stein first, the Question fiddled with the control panel, allowing him to now be able to track Stein on his own personal computer at home. It was a good thing he secretly installed that large satellite in the abandon building near his apartment. He had just finished making the connection when the Watchtower lost the signal.

"Find anything?"

"What nothing?" the Question hastily answered. Not noticing that Holt had managed to walk back into the room.

"Then why do you have a bunch of buzzing feeds up?"

Relieved that Holt was not suspecting anything else, the Question sighed, "I tried to patch in on Batman and Wonder Woman's conversation, unfortunately the feed went haywire."

"Do you think Batman is-"

Question nodded quickly. "I saw him do something. Well at least we know it's not the Illuminati."

Holt rolled his eyes.

"Well something has come up. I need to investigate a lead. I might be going dark for a while."

"What is it?"

"It's personal."

"Wait you can't just leave!"

"You have my notes; it does not do good to just sit here."

"Yeah but last time you disappeared you nearly got killed!"

The Question stopped and sighed. He had gotten to known Holt only this month, but he trusted the guy. Maybe he could be safe with him. Question turned around and handed Holt a cell phone.

"What is this?"

"It tracks me. If you do not hear from me in a week, use it. It should lead you to where I am. Just promise me you will not use it until a week. I cannot afford Superman come busting in when I am in the middle of a case and he thinks I am being tortured again."

Holt looked at the faceless man, unsure. The guy was a little crazy and probably should not be trusted to handle himself, but Question had a point. If he was doing some off the grid stuff, it would be better if he was outside of League influence.

"Fine, just promise me you have back up."

"O I will trust me. I am not worried. I got a partner after all," Vic shot back as he made his way to the teleporters.

"Who?"

"My wife."

For a while the two just stared at each other. Both too proud to say anything. Diana was losing her patience. A part of her wanted to punch the man in front of her to death and another part just wanted to leave him for good. But still that small nagging part in her heart was forcing her to stay.

For Batman he was debating whether he should apologize first or talk about the date. If he did it quickly it would be less painful. Yet why could he not seem to say the words? What was holding him back? Finally a slight shuffle in Diana's posture forced him to act.

"We need to talk."

"About?" she shot an eyebrow up while still drilling holes into him by her eyes.

"This date we have to do," Batman sighed, better to get it over with. "Look neither of us wants to do it."

"You can just say we did it and not-"

"That would be lying and cheating the public, Princess. I do not want to have to force you to lie."

Did he just call her by his old nickname for her?

Diana's heart was racing not only did he call her _Princess_, a word she had long to hear from him again, but he showed genuine concern for her image.

"Fine," she relented. "You can do what you want. I do not need a well publicize one like the other two."

Batman caught the disdain in her voice when she mentioned two. Better tread lightly.

"Well what do you want?"

Diana snorted, "That is the problem with men. You can never tell what a woman wants."

Some things never changed. Deciding they were going nowhere she decided to head back to the Monitor Womb but was stop by a gloved hand.

Immediately her eyes met the lenses of his cowl. The Amazon in her wanted to tear him apart for touching her. So did the woman in her as well. But a part of her could not deny what she was feeling. His touch, the subtle gentleness in it, the way his blank face tried to mask the pain he felt toward her, it was intoxicating.

"Diana. I am not done yet. Please stay for a minute."

Diana complied and relaxed. He was still holding her hand.

"I know what you wanted with me but I could not give it to you. I thought the best way was to be cold with you. When that did not work I decided to push you away. But I cannot deny the pain my heart feels for the pain I caused you Diana. Like it or not, you have made a big impact on my life for the good or bad and I cannot deny that. I do not ask you to accept me back, but at least give me another chance as a friend. If there is anything I ask from you is just a little friendship. I may be destined to be alone, but I know you still care for me just as I care for you as well."

Diana was trying to hold back her tears. She had been waiting for this moment for such a long time.

"We have already burned the bridge, but can we at least start over as just friends? I understand that you do not trust me after how I have treated you and I am sorry-"

That was it for Diana. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"That is all you needed to say Bruce. I will not deny, I did hope something more but you were right. We can never be together in the long run. However I forgive you for your mistakes, and am willing to renew our friendship as well."

She leaned in and gently kissed him on the cheek. Batman's face flushed immediately and a part of him was disappointed that she did not keep kissing him but this was for the best. It was just a friendly kiss.

She smiled softly at him. It hurt to let go, but she was free now. At least she could settle on being his friend.

For some reason Batman did not know what came over him but before he knew it, he blurted out the words.

"Come to the Manor this weekend."

"What?"

"For our date. Come over. Dick and Barbara are going to be there. Tim's coming home from the hospital as well."

Diana's eyes widened in shock.

"What happen to Tim-"

Batman interrupted her by shifting under her touch. Why was he telling her this? He knew they were close friends again, but for only ten seconds. Already he was spilling his guts to her. He sighed and looked the other way.

"A year ago the Joker kidnapped Tim. He tortured him for three weeks. Barbara and I finally found him, it was a disaster. I injured my leg; Harley fell off a cliff, never to be seen again. The Joker had brainwashed and scarred Tim as a miniature version of himself. I almost killed him, the Joker. But I hesitated. After everything I could not still kill the monster. If Tim did not have a moment of clarity and killed the Joker, I would have been dead."

Diana was shocked at this news. Never in her imagination did she think such a tragedy would happen to such a good man, who gave everything for the good fight. He was not done.

"I pushed everyone away. I knew I could not allow myself to have family and friends. Even if I would never break my vow or give up, they would get hurt. My quest, my burden, must be carried alone or so I thought. Little did I realize I was not just hurting myself but hurting everyone else. Alfred died hating me because of that. I am lucky that Dick, Barbara, and Tim are able to allow me back into their lives after I nearly pushed them away forever. I am lucky that all of you, Clark, Zatanna, Shayera, you, still are willing to forgive me for my mistakes."

And then Diana saw something she did not expect, Batman was having tears rolled down his face. She placed her hand on his face softly.

"I am sorry to Bruce, for almost giving up on you."

"I would deserve it…"

"Do not talk like that, we still care about you, all of us do. You are a good man, whether you will admit it or not."

Batman sighed and the two pulled themselves into an embrace. Nothing was said. Nothing would ever need to be said. They both loved each other but they would have to settle for this. It was not worth either of them hurting the other.

"So will you-"

"Yes I will come. I would not think that the rest would want me there though for such a tender family moment."

"They do Diana they love you, just like everybody here."

How she wished he would say he loved her, but this was probably as good as she was going to get. With reluctance she broke the embrace smiling.

"Ok I will see you then. In the meantime, I think we need to head back. Question's probably a little jumpy since we are leaving him alone with Holt."

Batman smirked and the two headed back to the Monitor room, more relaxed and less cold in contrast how they marched out earlier together. In fact if one could look long enough, you could say they were almost holding hands.


	34. Kiss and Make Up

Diana sat at the Monitors watching over the progress. Usually she did not have Monitor Duty due to her ambassador duties and being one of the League's hard hitters but she decided to give Mister Terrific and the others a break. Besides she needed some time to reflect.

Everything had changed. A month ago she and others were wallowing in self-pity and moping about their lousy love lives. Now everything was looking up. Kal finally had gotten back together with Lois. She was happy that he finally summoned the courage to commit himself to her.  
>Ollie and Dinah were getting married. She never would have expected those two to settle down. But if there was any pair perfect it would be them. After all, Vic and Helena were already married as well.<p>

Then there was Wally who told Diana the girl he liked was getting serious with him. She was amused when he admitted he already told her his secret identity after one date but decided it was okay for him. There was no need to be paranoid.

Lastly came Zatanna and Shayera. Literally before the other day, Diana wanted to kill both of them, mainly Shayera. But in retrospect, Diana understood now that Zatanna was trying to help and if it was not for her, she would have never renewed her friendship with Batman. Diana was glad that Zatanna found someone to be happy with as well.

As for Shayera, well Diana would be the first to admit her past betrayal would always be a hump in their relationship. Diana felt bad that she had pushed her best female friend away but was too proud and angry at someone else at the time to apologize. Well she was not angry anymore and it was probably better if she confronted Shayera finally. It was not worth it to hold a grudge anymore.

Her reuniting with Batman changed her for the better. She was not bitter and proud anymore. Instead she was more at ease and peace with herself. Of course her heart still ached because she knew now that she and Batman would remain friends and nothing more, she was glad that one of her closest friends was with her again. It was almost like old times.

Diana was so engrossed in her thoughts she almost did not pick up on Shayera trying to sneak to the teleporters unnoticed. However those wings were big enough to snap Diana back to attention.

"Oh, hey Shayera," Diana said awkwardly.

Shayera pretended like she just noticed Diana was in the room, "Oh hey it's you."

For a while the two women just stared at each other. Neither one was willing to back down and show weakness. Both were proud women despite their desire to be friends.

Diana took a deep breath, here it goes.  
>"I am sorry," she blurted out exactly at the same time Shayera said it.<p>

Immediately both women blushed and tried to hold back the smiles. Before they knew, it the two former friends were embracing each other again, trying hard not to cry.

"There was no need to apologize I provoked you," Diana whispered softly to her friend.

"But I should not have let my temper get the best of me. You were grieving at the time. A real friend would have let you vent out and not take it personal."

"But it was personal, I called you a traitor-"

"And I called you a stuck up spoiled brat," Shayera laughed and broke the embrace. "We said we were both sorry so let's move on."

Diana smiled at that remark.

"Besides, the past few days have made me realize how pointless it was to wallow in self-pity and be angry at everyone."

"What?" Diana asked curiously. She had not talked to her friend in weeks. They needed to catch up.

Shayera held up her hand and Diana noticed she was wearing a ring.

"No way-"

"Yes! The basturd proposed!" Shayera shrieked.

"I hope you are talking about John…" Diana joked.

Shayera laughed, "You should have seen him. When I got back from my date with Bruce he was all jealous and tongue tied. We made mad angry love that night!"

"Shayera!" Diana hushed, a little embarrassed.

"Sorry," Shayera said lowering her voice. "But anyways the next day he came up to me and proposed, deciding there was no point starting over since we both knew were this was going. I however made him do it again at a fancy restaurant."

"Isn't that a little mean?"

"I wanted him to do it in public and besides, I thought it would be a little payback for stringing me along all this time."

Diana giggled at her friend's remark.

"But enough about me. What about you and Bruce? Mister Terrific said you guys had a long talk."

Diana's face flushed deep red. She had not really told anyone yet about her and Bruce making up. In fact he had to leave to Gotham when they returned to the Monitor Womb. She had not seen him the rest of the week due to being busy.

"We talked. He apologized for being a jerk and asked if we could be friends again. We agreed to do our date this Saturday and that was it," she said very quickly.

Shayera gave her a questioning look, "That's it? You guys did not kiss and make up?"

"We did make up but we decided to remain friends."

"Wait a minute! Don't you realize you both lo-"

"We made our decision Shayera! We both knew that he believes he is supposed to be a bachelor forever. We decided to save ourselves the unnecessary heartache." She snapped, contrasting to her jovial mood she had earlier.

"And how do you feel about this?"

Diana sighed, usually she was comfortable about revealing her feelings, but recently the whole turn of events was making her unsure on what she would say.

"I feel relieved, like a heavy burden has been let go."

"But are you happy?"

Before Diana could answer, an emergency came on the monitors. Diana immediately sprang into action and called on for the appropriate personnel as Shayera helped her get ready to teleport them.

"Listen Di, I am going to help them. But just remember do what makes you happy."

And in a flash she was gone leaving Diana alone again.

"Do what makes her happy." It was what her mother, Wally, J'onn, and now Shayera were all encouraging her to do. Was letting go of Bruce making her happy? It was, she no longer felt the pain and grief in her heart. She had been a thousand times better now. But still as a promoter of truth, she could not deny those latent feelings still lingering around.

What would really make her happy is for Bruce to love her. Love her properly and open his heart to her. But reality had slapped her in the face. Bruce could never give the love she wanted even if he tried. He had too much emotional baggage. And neither could she allow herself to love him as much as she wanted to. She would not open her heart for it to get it broken again.

Which is why they settled for friendship. They both could not get what they really wanted, but at least they could get the next best thing. Their respect and care for each other was too great to be put at risk for their own selfish desires.

Diana sighed to herself. Hopefully this date they would go on would not fail in disaster. She did not know if she could handle another full out rejection from Bruce.


	35. An Old Legend

"Vic we have been sitting here for two days, are we going to do something or not?"

"The tracker says he's here," said the Question beckoning at the motel they were on stakeout. "And don't use my real name."

Helena punched her husband in the shoulder which caused him to wince in pain. "If you don't like it, I can always give Superman a call."

Question sighed defeated and resumed spying the motel with his binoculars. The condition his wife would allow him to try to meet with Mr. Stein under the table was she would accompany him. He was not sure if he made the right choice. Helena never did have the patience for a stakeout.

Helena groaned again. She was really bored. She was afraid her husband had gone off tangent like he usually did and was looking in the wrong place. She was about to say something when Vic muttered. Helena immediately turned to see a black car pull up. It looked like a limo for the secret service. A driver got out and went inside one of the rooms. Vic motioned to his wife to follow him and they quickly moved over to the car. Before Helena knew it, they were inside the limo in the passenger's seat.

"If that guy was in there why did you-"

"I wanted to be able to talk to him one on one. I do not think he would be as trusting if we just barged in."

"But barging in his limo?"

Vic snickered. "That is different. In his own car, he probably has multiple defenses. Not some random motel room. It will make him feel less scared."

"But won't he see us before he gets in?"

"The windows are tinted. Besides I looked him up, he is blind."

Before Helena could ask any more questions, the door was opened and an old man with dark shades helped himself in. Meanwhile the driver, not noticing the two passengers made his way up front and began to drive. The screen behind him was dark so he could not see the back seats.

Immediately the old man froze and then laughed as the car started.

"It is no good pretending to not be here. One of you is wearing a strong perfume."

Vic groaned inwardly. His wife should know better.

"We can come in peace," Vic said quickly, worried that Stein might activate some defense mechanism.

"Really? Breaking in my car seems very peaceful…"

"If we wanted to hurt you, we could have easily taken you right now," Helena shot back.

Vic put up a hand to tell his wife to calm down.

"What my partner is trying to say is we were hoping to get a few questions answered and we figured you would not be as willing to-"

"So what are you going to do? Torture me? How cliché," remarked Stein sarcastically.

"No. We are actually trying to help. We know about the sword."

For a second the blind man showed mild surprise but quickly masked it with dignified indifference.

"I do not know what-"

Helena had enough and pointed a crossbow at him, making sure he could feel it.

"Do not play games. We know the eye was stolen from you and you are trying to hide the last artifact.

Stein did not seem intimidated but was nonetheless still exasperated.

"Don't you understand what you are getting into? If you reunite them, those artifacts, it will be unleashed. You cannot control it! It is too wild and powerful. It will be the end of us all!"

"But we are trying to prevent that from happening," interrupted the Question realizing Stein was interpreting them as the thieves. "We are on your side."

"No one is on my side…"

"We are," shot back Helena.

Stein gave a disbelieving look in their direction.

"Really? Do you know what it is like to devote your life to keeping something secret, safe from everyone else? Do you know what it is like to know something so important and unbelievable that if you tell anyone they will not believe you but think you are just a conspiracy loon?"

"I do actually. I am the Question, perhaps you have heard of me," Vic introduced himself, deciding it was the appropriate time to.

Stein laughed, "Never did I think the Justice League would figure this out…"

"We are not working with the League right now."

That caused Stein to pause before he grinned again.

"Aw so you're doing off the record stuff again? Correct  
>me if I am wrong but last time you went off book, didn't Lex Luthor and the U.S. government kidnapped you? "<p>

"Yes but this time I was more cautious. I brought a partner."

"Who still let you blindly walked in unprotected. If I wanted to, I could kill both of you with ease. This car is equipped with so many weapons that I just need to sing a tune and I can have you both gassed out and poisoned simultaneously."

"We met you here to get you to trust us. We have been watching your motel for two nights. We easily could have came to your room and asked but I decided it was better if we were on your home turf."

For a while the three passengers sat in solemn silence. Stein finally broke it.

"Very well. Let's say I believe you. How did you find me?"

"The League was trying to track you. Luckily I was able to pick up the short wave signal Batman put on your cane when you met him. Do not worry. The League as far as they are concerned, they are still looking for you in South America."

Stein upon the news felt around his cane until he found the tiny device. Showing signs of displeasure he crushed it while muttering, "Thought this felt slightly heavier."  
>He then turned his attention back to his guests. "I thought Batman quit the Justice League."<p>

"He's temporarily rejoined. The League and Batman have as much interest as you do in these thieveries as well. They do not want this impending doom you speak of to happen either."

Stein snorted in laughter, "They are fools then! When you get a big group like them involved, it ends in disaster. These artifacts were better kept hidden. My brother thought it would be a good idea to put the eye on display because a museum would be safer. People do not understand secrecy is the best security."

Question nodded in agreement, forgetting Stein could not see him. Helena continued to eye the old man suspiciously. She did not like him.

"Well that's why we are here off the record. I understand you would feel that way. Why not expand the circle a little?"

"Why should I do that?"

"Because you are dying," Question stated calmly. Helena shot a look at him. How did he know? But then again he always had a way of knowing too much.

"And if I am guessing correctly, since all your family is dead, you are the only one who knows the location now. Am I right?"

The group faced another silence as the limo maneuvered out of traffic and onto a freeway.

"Why not expand the circle a little? That way you ensure your secret is not lost and they find it," the Question prodded.

"Whose they?" asked Helena. She was still confused.

"Wicked, wicked men. Part of a cult that has been around for centuries," explained Stein.  
>Sensing they did not understand he sighed.<p>

"I guess I should start at the beginning," he said while rubbing his cane "A long time ago, an ancient dragon roamed this land…"

"Dragons exist?" Helena asked skeptically.

Stein shot an angry look at her direction.

"This is just not any fairy tale dragon. It is a demon, a monster. It is the inspiration for all religions. It is the Jörmungandr for the Norse, the red dragon in the Book of Revelation, the Quetzalcoatl for the Aztecs. The list goes on. This beast has one single purpose. Destroy life on earth and bring out the end of the universe."

"Where did it come from?" the Question asked curiously.

"No one knows for sure. It emerged from the earth one day. The Olympians, Norsemen, and all other deities and worshipers of all faiths had to unite to imprison this monster in the earth's core. Many deities and humans lost their lives over this. The theory was that the one God, the Almighty, the Presence, allowed this thing to exist to cleanse the earth when he deemed it to be too wicked. If the dragon was left to its own devices, it would not only purge the entire earth but swallow up the cosmos as well."

Helena was having a hard time believing this. The idea of gods was already contradicting her Catholic upbringing. But the idea of God creating an evil being to punish humanity seemed contradictory.

"How did they imprison it?" the Question asked determined to find out more.

"Certain priests and mages of the united faiths sacrificed their lives to endow four objects with untold power. Together they released enough magic to open the holes in the world for the dragon to be sucked in."

"Holes?"

"The dragon does not exist on an entirely singular plane. It transcends dimensions. Like the legend of the Norsemen say, it is wrapped around the world. It currently is unable to enter the earth plane. You could say it is trapped in another dimension."

Not satisfied but deciding it was better for Stein to continue, Helena remained silent.

"The artifacts however could not be destroyed. Those who fought in the battle knew they must be kept distant because if the objects were united again it would undo the spell the ancients placed on it. The Greek shield of Sparta was hidden among the Greek islands, the eye taken from Egypt across the ocean by a phoenix. The sword, said to belong to Thor, the Norse god of Thunder himself, was taken up to the frigid north to remain buried in the cold. Lastly the chalice, which was blessed by a Jewish prophet, was passed down by-"

"The line of Jesse?" asked the Question poignantly.  
>Stein nodded.<p>

"Yes the chalice was passed down King David's line. Eventually Joseph, the carpenter gave it to his adopted son, Jesus-"

"The son of God?"

Stein shrugged his shoulders unsure.

"I do not know what you believe but I believe He was. The bottom line is, regardless if Jesus was really the son of God, he entrusted the chalice to his apostles after the Last Supper."

"And it was passed down at the Vatican until eventually some realized it was better to keep it a secret," The Question said finishing the explanation.

Stein nodded.

"Wait, the chalice is the Holy Grail?" asked Helena disbelieving.

Stein nodded again. "However during the Middle Ages there was a renewed interest of finding the Grail from idiot groups like the Templar. The few in the Vatican who were aware of the Holy Grail and its true nature decided to hide it in plain sight. They pretended it was just an ordinary chalice of some saint during the Middle Ages. It worked well, until when the nun from Gotham asked to borrow the chalice a few months ago. The nun was a friend of the pope and she wanted the relic to be used for All Soul's Day because the saint they alleged the chalice belonged to was the patron saint of the nun's parish. Those in the Vatican who were aware of its real nature had no choice but to send it to her lest it arise suspicions. Unfortunately those wicked men were behind it, manipulating the nun."

"Why did the Vatican just report it is missing but acted like there was no record?"

"Like I said she was a friend of the pope, it was off the record transactions."

"And how do you know all of this?" Helena asked suspiciously. She did not like how her husband was getting all chummy with this creepy old man.

Stein sighed, "I may be German on my father's side, but my mother side is Swiss. My uncle was in the Swiss Guard as was his father. During World War II, when Mussolini forced the Vatican to give the Eye of Montezuma to Hitler, he replaced it with a fake one. Deciding secrecy was the best, he gave it to my mother for our family to keep. However my brother was an idiot and decided that a museum would be safer when we came to America."

"How many in the Vatican are actually aware of these true purposes?"

"Only a few elite members of the Swiss Guard and a handful of cardinals know about it. My uncle was one of those people."

For a while there was silence. Neither men willing to say anything at first but choosing to pause to reflect. It unnerved Helena a little.

"What about the other two objects?" The Question pushed on.

"The shield was passed around in the 1800s until it was missing. I honestly do not know how they found it. But they eventually found a way to smuggle it into Gotham. I heard there was a professor in Gotham murdered after he received a Greek artifact. It was probably the shield."

The Question nodded, again forgetting Stein was blind.

"Whose 'They'?" asked Helena.

"They are a small cult that has for centuries attempted to find and reunite the artifacts to unleash the dragon. They hope to be able to restore order to this world. They take orders from a man they called the Master. A man who has been around longer than you can ever im-"

"Vandal Savage?" the Question cut through, ignoring Stein's elaborate descriptions.

This time, Stein's look of surprise remained.

"How did you…"

"Savage briefly took over Hitler's reign in the past. If I recall the Justice League had to go back in time to stop him. I got interested in this link and was researching. It appears it was actually Savage that got Hitler interested in the occult. Plus the shield was last own by someone who went by an alias Savage was using at the time."

Helena tried to wrap her brain around what she just heard. The Justice League going back to WWII? That seemed confusing and unlikely.

Stein laughed, "Well I guess you are one of the world's greatest detectives after all. Savage was part of the group that united to imprison the dragon. However he intended to control it and use his power to supplant himself as world dictator. The others however caught wind of it and imprisoned the dragon before Savage could control it and scatter the objects across the world."

"So Savage founded this cult to try to reunite the artifacts in hopes of releasing the dragon?"

"Yes Savage has been behind this conspiracy this whole time. Of course he is the leader. However, unlike the members of the cult, he is not motivated by religious needs. Instead he is motivated by his lust for power. He just uses them when he sees an opportunity to."

"Then why act now? Why had he not tried earlier?"

Stein shook his head. "Savage has tried other methods for domination. He is after all, allegedly immortal. With that kind of time on your hands, would you not try other methods for world domination as well? Savage kept in contact with the cult once a century or too. Now however he has made them more active. I think they realize I am dying soon and feel I will be at my most vulnerable and too weak to stop them."

Helena sighed; this seemed more unbelievable by the minute. But then she realized her husband had overlooked something.

"You never did answer his other question. Where is the sword?"

Stein chuckled, "It has been lost and hopefully will never be-"

"That is a lie. You have delivery trucks going on random routes. To me that means you are hiding something," the Question rebutted coldly. An advantage of having his mask it allowed him not to show facial surprise. Not that it mattered at the moment though, because Stein was blind.

Stein smiled defeated, "What can I say? Things are better kept secret when they are not in the open. But yes I did find the sword. It was hidden in a church in northern Norway but I found it. It took me half my life but I finally found it. I knew it was only a matter of time before the eye would get stolen as well as the chalice. I was not sure where the shield was so I rationalized the safest bet would be to find the sword to at least keep one artifact safe."

"Why did you not just ask the eye back from the museum?"

"I did. It was stalled by bureaucratic efforts from the Gotham local government and the museum itself. Finally after the first attempted theft, it sped up the process because the museum realized the insurance on it was a fortune if it got stolen. Unfortunately, the police let it get stolen before I was able to come and claim it."

Helena still was not getting the answer she wanted, "You still have not answered our question. Where is the sword?"

Stein sighed defeated. He pulled out his cane and Vic was worried for a second he was going to defend himself but instead Stein used it to push a button under him, an amazing feat considering he was blind. A trap door sprang open between them and Helena had to hold onto the seat to avoid falling in it. Upon further inspection, she realized it was not that deep but shallow. In fact sitting in the middle of the bottom was an old dusty sword.

"You had this here the entire time?" Vic asked shocked that he did not even think it was right under their noses.

Stein grinned proudly. "Fooled you too, didn't I? I figured the best way to hide the sword after the eye's theft was make it look like I was hiding something when in reality it was hidden in plain sight."

Stein then with great difficulty due to his age knelt down and was able to grab the sword by the hilt which was amazing considering he was blind.

He then presented the sword to Vic and Helena.

"Take it."

"What?"

"You heard me take it."

"But you-"

"Yes, but remember I also expressed the importance of secrecy. This meeting is off the record from the League so they will not be aware."

"But I think they-"

"You came here knowing it was better to keep the circle small. You must hide this. Do not tell me. I will be dying soon and Savage and his cult will find me eventually. They will try to get me to tell them where it is. As long as I do not know where it is, it will be safe."

The couple was startled. They were told that if this fell into the wrong hands it would mean the end of the universe but now this man was giving it to them like a Christmas gift.

"I thought you did not trust us…"

"I do not, but I think you have proven yourself as not motivated by power and greed and worthy to protect it. Which is why you both understand you must keep this safe. Otherwise it will be the doom for us all."

"The League has some powerful mages though. Surely they can use the same spell to imprison it…"

"The people who imprisoned the foul beast last time barely succeeded. Besides they used old magic which has been lost and forgotten. No one knows it anymore. If this beast is released there will be no stopping it this time."

The Question hesitated but decided it was better to do what the old German said and hide the sword again. He took it from his hand.

"I will have my driver stop…"

"No need," said the Question as he activated his commlink.

"Mister Terrific this is Question."

"You fool! I said to not let anyone else know about this!"

"Do not worry about it; he is just transporting us to our house. He knows nothing."

Holt replied by the radio, "This is Mister Terrific. I have found your location. Do you want to come up to the-"

"No Holt. To my apartment. Helena is with me as well. She has her old commlink."

"You got it then."

"Oh and Holt, I would appreciate if you kept this off the books."

There was a hesitation on the other line but Holt relented.

"You got it. Be ready to go in 20 seconds."  
>Vic and Helena held hands as they got ready to feel their molecules pulled apart and reassembled again. Vic took one last look at the feeble old man sitting across from him.<p>

"Good luck," he whispered softly before the two disappeared from his limo.

Stein sighed as he was all alone again. One thing was for certain his time was coming soon. The doctor said he only had a month left a few weeks ago. The doctor did warn against traveling as well. But he refused. His whole life was dedicated to keep the world safe from this ancient evil. But now his task had been passed on, for the first time in his life, Stein felt relieved. Like a whole burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

Stein sighed as he felt his body grow weary. He closed his eyes as he got ready to take his final rest, his purpose complete. His heart had stopped long before his driver had reached the intended destination.


	36. Better Work Days

Bruce Wayne entered his office. Traffic was not bad for a Friday but he really was not paying attention the whole way. He had a lot of stuff on his mind.

Tim was coming home this weekend, Leslie called him last night to confirm. He made sure Dick got Tim's room ready as well as learn how to accommodate Tim such as knowing all the medications he needed to take and when he needed to go to therapy and what to do to calm him down in case he had an episode.

Bruce of course would be busy mostly during the day at Wayne Enterprises so he did feel guilty that he was letting Dick do the lion's share of the work but Dick did not seem to mind. In fact for once Dick was more understanding. However Tim coming was not the only reason that got him thinking.

Not only was Barbara coming but Diana as well. Two women who both loved him that he pushed them away. Now both were coming this weekend to help him welcome back his adopted son. If that was not weird Bruce did not know what was.

Admittedly, he felt like he was getting too distracted by this. So far neither he nor the League was successful at finding Stein yet. The Question himself was working on a case at Hub City so he was not available to help lately either. Maybe next week after this weekend was over he would be able to put more time and focus into the case.

There were still some paparazzi to greet him when he entered Wayne Enterprises, but it was a lot smaller than usual. After his date with Shayera, he let the press knew he intended to take Wonder Woman on a private date in the manor. To the press that seemed boring; so many of them were losing interest in the story. Thank God.

Bruce wandered absentmindedly into the elevator, not paying attention to the elevator man who greeted him as he was taken up to the top floor to his office.  
>Bruce entered to find Patti writing a lot of stuff down not looking at him. Over the last few weeks, the two have had a very distant and cold relationship. Bruce was still a little mad at Patti for the date auction conspiracy and Patti was feeling guilty about it.<p>

However as time passed, Bruce slowly had forgotten his anger at her and was put off by the lack of enthusiastic greeting she always gave him in the morning.

Shaking his head he started to enter his office but decided better of it and walked over to Patti.

When Patti sensed his presence she jumped up startled and scared.

"Mr. Wayne! I am-"

"It's alright Patti. I just want to ask how you are doing."

"F-fine sir!"

Bruce chuckled at her nervousness and felt a little guilty at how he treated her lately. She was only trying to help.

"Patti, you can take the rest of the day off."

Patti dropped her pen she was holding.

"Wha-?"

"You heard me, take the rest of the day off. You earned it."

"I-but how?"

Bruce smiled and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You made me remember what it was like to have a little fun. Thank you."

Patti did not answer but kept staring at her boss like he was a mutated alien.

"And for what it's worth, I am sorry for not realizing how much you have helped me this past month. Take this day off as a way to show my apology."

"Uh- thank you?"

Bruce smiled, "Do not let me catch you here when I am on my lunch break."

"But Mr. Wayne what if someone calls?"

"Powers has backed out of the deal. As of right now, we are not dealing with anything that important for a while. Besides, it's Friday," he responded before closing his office door.

He would work from his office, make the calls he needed and hopefully be home by lunch.

Work got a little easier now that Powers and his scheming son had stopped trying to aggressively influence his own company. The elder Powers was so mad at Bruce for allegedly "embarrassing him at the auction" that he refused to continue working with Wayne Enterprises. His son Derek was a little more reluctant to let go but it was still his father's company. Everything worked out for Bruce there. One less gray hair to worry about.

He was in the middle of looking over a speech he planned to give at the board meeting next week when his private phone rang. Not the private phone of Bruce Wayne, the other private phone.

He was tempted to ignore it because he was not in the mood to be Batman this early in the morning but decided it might be an emergency picked it up.

"Yes?"

"Hey Bruce," said a soft angelic voice on the other line.

Bruce's heart beat slightly faster for a second. It was Diana.

"What is it Diana? Is everything alright?" he answered in a deeper voice, attempting to mask his feelings.

"Uh yes. Everything is okay. We still have not found any leads yet on Stein though."

"We will find a way eventually. How did you get this number?" he asked a little more serious but nonetheless, gentler than how he would ask anyone else.

"Shayera gave it to me. She said this is the best way to get a hold of you."

Bruce closed his eyes and groaned. He seriously needed to change this number.

"Is there anything else?" he asked, knowing she could have easily told him this over his commlink. She called him on his personal line because she wanted to have a personal conversation.

Diana hesitated on the other line before asking her question.

"When is a good time for me to come and what should I wear?"

Bruce paused for a second. He decided it would be better if she got to the manor before Tim arrived.

"Come at 1015. Tim's coming around 1030. And you can wear whatever you want. It does not have to be anything fancy."

"Okay, thank you Bruce. See you tomorrow."

"Bye Diana," he said before hanging up.

His mind was now all over the place. What was he doing? He was playing with fire asking her to come to the manor. He was usually his most vulnerable at home. He was not the playboy or the Bat, just Bruce. He could not guarantee he could keep his heart in check with her around. Luckily though, an email from one of the board members requesting for Bruce to look over something gave Bruce the opportunity to have a distraction for the rest of the day.

*

Lois and Clark sat together in a conference room having lunch together. There recent engagement caused quite the uproar among the Planet's staff. Most people thought it was a joke at first but after seeing the new ring on Lois's finger they knew it was serious. Gary himself was not happy about it. He stormed into the office one day to call her a list of nasty names. Lois wanted to punch him but was held back by her real love, Clark.

Lois respected her soon to be husband a lot during that incident. She knew it was taking his entire self-control to not pummel her ex with his strength. Luckily salvation came from an unlikely source. Perry himself forced the angry man out of the planet. That was unexpected because Perry was not exactly a young man, but then again he needed a lot of energy to run the planet.

After the incident, Perry gave Lois and Clark his blessing which meant everything to her. To Lois, Perry was like a second father to her. One she aspired to be and always win his approval. His blessing meant everything to her. Of course she would marry Clark regardless what people thought, but it was nice to know she had Perry's approval.

The engaged couple lately would have their lunches in private rooms now due to the stares and whispers people would do and plus, Lois wanted to go over wedding plans privately.

"I say we get married in June, that way it's warm but not too warm," she said while skimming over bridal gowns.

The couple was planning to marry privately in Smallville, with only Clark's parents and some staff members of the Planet. Taking a leaf out of Green Arrow's book, Clark also decided to have another wedding ceremony on the Watchtower for the Justice League to attend.  
>Clark nodded in agreement.<p>

"Although I do not think temperature will be an issue for the Watchtower wedding," he said while scanning online to look for some decent suits to wear.

"Speaking of which, who is going to be my maid of honor?"  
>Clark choked on the food he had just put in his mouth.<p>

"I-I thought Lucy would be-"

"That is for the Smallville wedding. But for the League wedding, who's gonna be my maid of honor?"

Clark hesitated. Lois did not know many of the females on the League roster who were acquainted with Lois.

"Well I-"

"Save it Smallville. I was thinking of asking Diana. Don't give me that look. She and I got a long well when we met a few times. You said so yourself you are just friends. Is that going to be a problem?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"No," Clark whispered softly.

Lois smirked before continuing, "And I think Bruce should be your best man for the Watchtower-"

Clark nearly choked on his food again.

"But-"

"Come on! You said so yourself he's always been your best friend! You said he's rejoined the League so I do not see what the problem is!"

"Yeah but he is Bruce and you two used to d-"

"We are just good friends Clark and you know it. Come on, I know he will not ever admit it but it will mean the world to him if you give him that. He considers you a friend whether you like it or not."

Clark relented again as Lois beamed and continued to scan the magazine.

"Although I am curious, how did Diana react when he came back?"

Clark laughed. His future wife was always curious and that often would get her in trouble. There was a reason why she was a Pulitzer winner.

"Like she was going to tear him two one minute, but then the next minute they talk and I see them almost holding hands together."

Lois laughed, "Let me guess, you used your x-ray vision to spy on them?"

Clark grinned sheepishly.

"My super hearing was useless but I was able to figure the jist of it. My guess is Bruce apologized and now he and Diana are friends again."

"That's all?" Lois said giving Clark and unbelieving look.  
>Clark shrugged his shoulders.<p>

"Is there anything else?"

"Can it Clark. You of all people know those two deeply love each other. You told it to me yourself once!"  
>Clark sighed, "Yes they do. But I feel like they decided it was safer if they remained friends. You know how Bruce is with relationships. They all end in disaster."<p>

"Speak for yourself, ours ended cordially. But you are right. Bruce would not admit to me he loved her but he did admit he would not allow himself to love her. He does not want her to get hurt. That is sweet in a demented way."

"He does have a habit of doing that."

But before Lois could respond Perry barged in.

"I hope you love birds are having a good time but it is Friday!"

"And that means?"

"Deadlines! Just because it's Friday does not mean it's anything special. You both owe me those articles on my desk in two hours!" Perry barked before leaving.

"Well I guess we will get back to work-"

Lois shoved a bunch of wedding catalogs on his desk.

"You have superspeed. You can type what you want in minutes. You are going to look thru these first."

It was not a question. Before Clark could respond, his fiancé already had walked off leaving him buried with multiple wedding catalogues.

Laughing Clark began to skim thru some, hoping to find something worthwhile.


	37. Diana

Diana looked herself in the mirror. She examined the outfit she was wearing. She was wearing a turquoise shirt with purple pants. It was the exact same outfit she wore during the night of the Thanagarian occupation.

It was also when she kissed Bruce. Wearing this again seemed to bring some sentimental value to it.

_"Don't be a fool Diana. He probably will not even remember that outfit. Besides, that kiss was fake and you know it,"_ the Amazon in her chided.

But then the memory of him smirking at her when she apologized, she knew a tiny part of him enjoyed it. Of course he masked it under the typical playboy grin he showed, but she knew he felt what she had felt at the spontaneous moment.

Diana shook her head. Her and Bruce we supposed to be friends now. She needed to get those foolish ideas out of her head.

Sighing she began to tie her hair into a bun when Shayera walked in.

"Hey Di. Love the outfit. Really does bring out the eyes!" Shayera complimented.

"Thanks," Diana mumbled. She probably felt it would not be tactful to bring up the last time she wore this was during Shayera's moment of betrayal. She was surprised Shayera did not remember. But then again Shayera was going thru a lot of stuff at the moment.

Diana began to apply some light lipstick to her lips when Shayera noticed her shaking hands.

"Nervous?"

"No!" Diana said almost dropping the lipstick into her sink.

Shayera smirked before giving the Amazon a hug.

"Well John and I got to go to lunch, good luck," and as quickly as she entered she was gone. Diana sighed to herself and began to make sure her casual outfit did not look sloppy. She was amazed after nearly five years she still had it. But then again she always took good care of her clothes.

Diana made her way back to the Monitor Womb. Surprisingly, Mister Terrific was not on duty but J'onn and Wally.

The two were actually watching a cheesy horror movie on one of the monitors. Wally was mowing down five buckets of popcorn while J'onn calmly enjoyed his favorite snack, Oreos.

Diana coughed to get their attention. Wally turned, a little embarrassed to be caught watching something so cheesy. J'onn however seemed unfazed.

"I thought you would be offended by movies like these," Diana smirked, noticing the villains of the movie were Martians.

J'onn smiled, "I find these caricatures amusing actually. Are you going to the manor I take it?"

Diana could have sworn J'onn read her mind but she also knew he was pretty good at guessing people's motives without telepathy. She gave a guilty smile.  
>Wally began choking on his popcorn.<p>

"You are having your date with him in the manor?"

"It's just a date Wally," Diana said, rejecting the implication he was making. Wally gave her a disbelieving look but turned back to watch the movie while J'onn set the coordinates on the teleporter.

"Good luck Diana," J'onn said trying to hide his smirk as Diana disappeared.

*

Bruce paced nervously back and forth across the carpet. Dick had left to pick up Tim. Barbara had already arrived as well and was relaxing on the couch watching the news. She seemed way more at ease than Bruce was.

"Relax Bruce, Tim will be fine."

"It's not Tim I am worried about, he is a tough kid." 

Barbara smirked. She did get a little enjoyment seeing Bruce nervous over a woman even though she used to wish it was her. But that was in the past. She grew up. Bruce was her mentor, her friend now.

The sound of a doorbell ringing caused him to freeze. Both knew Dick would never use the doorbell. He would just barge in when he felt like it. That could mean only one thing.

Nervous slightly, Bruce flattened his hair and made his way to the front door, cursing the fact it seemed so far away from the living room. Why did his ancestor's have to make the house so big?

He finally reached the door and sighed before pulling it open.

In front of him stood Diana who just looked as unsure as he was. Why was she wearing the same outfit she wore when they kissed each other in the restaurant?

Immediately the Bat in his head dismissed it as coincidence and tried to remind him it was to hide their faces.

_"Bull, do not act like you did not enjoy it. Besides, you do not believe in coincidence,"_ the voice in his headed chided. Bruce buried it like he usually did as he let Diana come in.

Diana looked around. The manor seemed to be the same last time she visited which was a long time ago. Except it was missing Alfred.

A pang in her heart was felt mixed with guilt. All this time she hated Bruce but never once considered how he was grieving, especially after Alfred's death. And she was getting upset because he just wanted to be alone for a while? How could she have given up on him when he needed her?

However she was interrupted by Bruce.

"How have you been?"

"Fine. The UN has been quiet lately as the rest of the world."

"That's good," Bruce muttered awkwardly as he led her to the living room.

"And no we have not found anything yet on Stein. It's been hard especially without the Question's help."

"Don't worry. I will come back up to the Watchtower next week. Hopefully he will be back as well and we can work on it."

It unnerved Diana how formal this conversation was going. Luckily she found herself seeing a young red head getting off the couch.

For a minute she felt a little angry pang in her heart but then realized this must have been Batgirl, not one of Bruce's girlfriends.

"Diana this Barbara, she used to be-"

"Batgirl," Barbara said proudly. "Nice to meet you." 

Barbara shook Diana's hand gently.

"Bruce have you offered her anything to drink?" 

Bruce glared at her but then realized that Alfred was not here anymore to provide refreshments.

"Do you two want anything?"

Diana shook her head, but Barbara decided to seize the opportunity.

"Can you get me some Iced Tea Bruce, please?" she said over dramatic.

Bruce glared at her and took off toward the kitchen. Diana could not help but giggle a little at his apparent discomfort.

"Don't worry, he will survive, he's a big boy," Barbara said to Diana as she offered Diana to sit next to her on the couch.

"So what made you decide to come here?"

"Bruce asked me to come," Diana explained.

If there was one thing Barbara's dad taught her, it was knowing when someone was holding something back when you questioned them, and Diana was definitely holding something back.

"Oh really? The other two dates were in public, why did you settle for a private one?"

Diana's quick mind easily came up with an excuse.

"To get away from the paparazzi-"

Barbara shook her head. "You both do not care for the paparazzi. Why did you really want to come here?"

Diana paused. It was the same question she was asking herself. A private date with Bruce seemed risky and very dicey. Finally after looking deep in her heart she found her answer.

"Because I felt it would be the best way for me to connect with him again," Diana said softly. The truth did hurt but still it felt good to admit it.

"You missed him didn't you?" Barbara asked sympathetically.

Diana turned the other way.

"I missed him. I missed him aggravating me, his stubbornness, his drive, his determination. I missed the warrior's spirit he had. But most of all I missed the caring nature he had underneath. He always acts like a jerk and that he does not care for anyone but I know him better. Underneath everything he is a brave, caring, selfless man."

Barbara grabbed her hand.

"Yes Bruce is a nice guy he just does not like to show it."

Diana was not finished, "But most of all I miss being around him. I miss our friendship. I miss him, Kal, and me working together. We were the closest of friends. When he left, nothing seemed to be the same."

Barbara nodded, "Yes he was a jerk for doing that but now he is making up for it. The best way we can do is move on."

"What are you two talking about?" Bruce asked holding an iced tea for Barbara.

"Girl stuff," Barbara said convincingly. 

Diana did not look at Bruce because she was not good lying while making eye contact.

Bruce however did not need the subtle signs to know the truth. He had heard everything. The kitchen was not far and he was able to get an iced tea faster than Barbara anticipated. He was rounding the corner when he heard Diana said she missed him. Immediately guilt swept over him. How many more had been hurt because of him? He was a walking time bomb. People he got close to got hurt, and the people he pushed away to prevent from getting hurt still got hurt. Why was his life so cursed like this? What did he do to deserve this?

"Tim should be arriving in a few minutes," Bruce said, realizing there had been an awkward silence among the three for a minute.

"How is he?" asked Diana. She really did have concern.

"He will need therapy still according to Leslie and take some meds and have someone around the house to keep an eye on him. He will also have to be homeschooled for a while but I am not worried, he is a bright boy after all, he should be fine."

"How are you going to take care of him?"

Barbara spoke up, "Dick's going to stay for another few months to watch over Tim when Bruce is not here. I am going to come over the weekends to help. Leslie and Zatanna also have offered to come by and help as well. He is going to get all the support he needs."

As if on cue, a car was heard pulling up. The three adults just stared at each other. Finally Bruce stood up.

"I think I should greet him first, so he is not shocked by seeing all three of us at once," and he hurried out of the living room to the front door.

Dick had parked the car and was opening the trunk. Tim was still inside just staring blankly at the manor. For a second Bruce was afraid he was doped up but Dick beckoned him to come closer.

"He was pretty talkative on the way. When he saw the manor he went quiet. Don't worry, It's just a shock for him coming home," whispered Dick.

_Home._

That's where Tim was right now. Home. Like it or not, Tim, Dick, Barbara, were Bruce's family and they belonged with him.

Bruce decided to take a leap of faith and opened Tim's door. Tim seemed startled for a second and just realized Bruce was there. However after the initial shock was over Tim put on a genuine smile.

"Hey Bruce," he said softly. 

Bruce smiled, a genuine smile, and helped him get out.

"Welcome home Tim. I got a special surprise for you." 

Tim's eyes lit up in excitement. Bruce was on the verge of breaking down. It had been over a year since he had seen Tim this happy and excited.

They were about to enter inside but Tim stopped at the door.

"What is it?" Bruce asked in a gentle voice.

"It's Alfred. I miss him," he said softly while he just stared off into space again.

Bruce patted his son on the shoulder.

"I miss him too. We all do. But I know he would be happy to know you are back here, where you belong."

Those words meant the world to Tim. Bruce was proud of himself that he was getting Tim to feel more happy than Leslie could. He remembered Alfred doing something similar after his year treatment with Leslie as a child. Now he was doing the same thing, helping his own adopted son heal.

Bruce led Tim inside.

"Nothing's changed much," Tim joked.

Bruce smirked.

"Look who's here to see you," Bruce said pointing to Barbara standing in the middle of the room.

Tim's eyes were mixed with surprise and joy.

"Babs?"

"Hey kiddo," she said and walked up to him to hug him.

Tim's eyes were on the verge of tears at this point.

"Why are you crying?" Barbara asked.

"I forgot how pretty you are," Tim said through some sobs.

Barbara beamed at that remarked and started crying a little too.

Diana watched from afar, hidden in the shadows. She was very touched by the events unfolding before her. A family that was broken was now coming together again. And Bruce, she had never seen him this happy. In fact she never saw him smile like that. It was at that moment she began to tell herself she did not deserve to be here. This was a private family moment and she was intruding. However before she could find a way to sneak out, Bruce somehow had found her.

Without asking, he grabbed her hand and led her to the center of the room.

"Also Tim someone else has come to visit. I would like you to meet Diana," Bruce said casually.

Tim's eyes showed the most shock at this moment and for a second Diana was worried she might have put the boy thru too much, but immediately he was smiling big.

"You're-you're Wonder Woman-"

"You can call me Diana," she said kindly.

Tim stammered some more before finding the words, "I always wanted to meet you but Bruce here was like 'You're too young to meet the League…'"

Diana shot Bruce a disproving look.

"Well now he thinks you're old enough," she said softly. "Here I got you something."

Rummaging through a small bag she had, she pulled out a small necklace.

"This was blessed by the priestess of Apollo on Thermyscara. It is supposed to bring good luck and pleasant dreams to the wearer."

Tim eagerly grabbed the necklace and hung it around his neck smiling big.

"How come you never get me anything nice?" Tim joked, asking Bruce.

Bruce beamed at that remark. Not only was Tim healing, but he was getting a sense of humor back, and Diana was helping. She did not realize how her being here was helping Tim so much.

"O don't mind me…" Dick said sarcastically holding Tim's stuff in the door way. A little angry because no one seemed to be giving him the attention.

"Can you put those in his room Dick? Thanks," Bruce said with mock condescension as if he was a servant. That earned a laugh from Tim and Barbara at the embarrassed look on Dick's face.

Pretty soon the company found themselves in the living room again. Bruce had ordered a bunch of food from a pizza place, including a bunch of pizzas and sandwiches. He figured Tim would be hungry after having to eat hospital food for months. His hypothesis proved correct. Never did Bruce see anyone gobble down so much food and he used to work with the Flash.

After Tim was on his tenth slice, Bruce patted him on the back.

"Might want to slow down there buddy," he teased.

"Ommpf Bube, leb da kifb habe sumf un!" Dicks said thru a very large mouthful. That earned a glare from both Barbara and Bruce. If Alfred was still alive there would have been hell to pay.

Diana was enjoying herself. She always had a proclivity for pizza. It was one of her favorite things in Man's World that Wally introduced her to.

Finally after much eating and joking, Barbara had brought down a board game. It was Dick's idea. The best way for Tim to adjust to the manor again would be if he had some bonding moment with the batclan.

Diana did not really understand the board game other than it involved money and buying property. She figured a businessman like Bruce would easily blow them away but he was getting beaten by the other four players. He seemed very flustered by getting ganged up on. She always knew he had a competitive streak underneath.

However Diana was willing to bet all the fake money she had acquired in the past hour that Bruce was not trying hard on purpose. She had a feeling he was trying to let Tim win. That was really sweet of him. And that was why she lov-

Immediately she broke that train of thought while scolding herself in her head. She was supposed to be here as a friend, not to win his heart. They agreed on the Watchtower to be just friends and nothing more. If she crossed that barrier, she probably would set everything back as it was a year ago. It was not a risk she was willing to take.

But yet why did her heart seem to be ignoring her head at the moment? It was a miracle she was able to keep her emotions in check for once. Hera, is this how he felt every day? Bottling everything deep inside, never sharing with anyone? It was driving her insane.

Thankfully a smart ass remark by Dick distracted her and pretty soon she was concentrating on the game again. After an hour, Bruce and Barbara were out. It was a pretty long Game. Longer than the other games she used to play with some of the League members.

Dick at the moment had more properties than both of them and was getting cocky. He was so much like Bruce. Arrogant, brash, with an extra twist of humor and sense of thrill. Despite their differences, Diana could see they both had much more in common than they thought. She would probably never understand why they were estranged.

In order to combat Dick, Tim and Diana began to team up against him which was frustrating him. Tim seemed to take great pleasure though in beating his older brother. She got the impression there was a little sibling rivalry going on between the two. By another hour, Diana was out of the game, but she at least was able to weaken Dick enough that he and Tim were on equal grounds.

Tim had jokingly called it a warrior sacrifice.

Finally another half hour later, Tim beat Dick. However Dick did not seem too happy. He was very red and angry and pretty soon was ranting that they cheated. Instead Tim began to taunt him being a sore loser with Barbara giggling. Diana was worried Dick was going to storm off, but she thought she caught him winking at Bruce before he angrily walked away to get more leftover food.

Those two stubborn men; whether they would admit or not, they were probably the two most generous souls in Gotham.

Bruce picked up the game and went upstairs to put it away. Dick meanwhile had to leave to patrol Gotham.

Bruce, in a rare moment, decided to give Dick patrol tonight so he can be with Tim on his first night back. Barbara was staying the night as well. She explained to Diana that Tim was expected to have nightmares once in a while still and it would be wise to have someone in the manor to watch him.

Little did Diana know Barbara had something else in mind. Sneaking away, Barbara turned on the stereo which began to play some ballroom dancing music. She secretly always hated those but knew this moment was appropriate for it.

Diana was confused when the music played. She knew how to dance but it seemed odd for someone to play it casually. She immediately caught Tim looking sad at the song.

"What is it Tim?"

"I always wanted to learn how to dance to songs like this. They always play it at Bruce's charities. Alfred was supposed to teach me before the acc-"

And his voice began to break as he trailed off. Diana felt such a surge of pity toward the boy and got up and walked over to him.

"Well let me teach you," she said gently lifting him up. Tim looked at her unsure. Not only was she taller than him but she was very beautiful.

"Trust me. I am Amazon royalty and one of the things we need to know how to do is dance," she said with much poise and elegance, oblivious that Tim was not worried about her dancing credentials.

Tim grabbed her and put an arm on her waist. Diana was slowly leading while whispering instructions. It warmed her heart in a matter of minutes she had got him to feel so happy again. She was just trying to help. He was a quick learner too. Pretty soon he was leading her now.

At one point unnoticed by Diana, Tim caught Barbara's eye who mouthed 'good job' to the boy. Tim already knew how to dance. Barbara had pulled Tim aside during dinner and told him an idea she had. She did not give the details but basically told him he needed to get Diana to 'teach him how to dance'. Tim obviously had no clue what Barbara had in mind, but what boy needs a reason to want to dance with Wonder Woman?

Bruce had come back down when they were in the middle of the first lesson. For the rest of their dancing he just stood there. He was in awe of her beauty again. He forgot she could dance so gracefully. Of course she was not really good at modern pop music dancing, but he remembered when they were in Paris, he was surprised how good she was at it. It must have been her royal upbringing.

Barbara knowing Bruce had been behind her long enough, again mouthed to Tim 'mess up really bad'.

Tim did and tripped unexpectedly over his feet. Diana caught him before he hit the floor.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I just don't think I can keep up with you."

"But Bruce can," joked Barbara.

All eyes were on Bruce now. Both Bruce and Diana's faces were turning deep red right now.

"Come on Bruce, why don't you show Diana how to dance?"

Tim caught on and also gave a pleading look. Bruce seemed to have frozen before he found his voice again.

"We already did a long time ago-"

"But you never finished it lest I recall when you told me," Barbara shot back.

Bruce shot a glare at her; she was meddling in affairs that were not her business. A part of him wanted to tell her off, but realizing it would be bad to in front of Tim he decided to relent.

Shrugging his shoulders like it was not as big of a deal, he walked up to Diana.

"May I have this dance?" he said with mock drama.

Diana smirked at that and immediately accepted. Pretty soon the two were dancing. At first nothing special seemed to come out of it. It was just a friendly dance.

But pretty soon, Tim and Barbara could catch the subtle signs. How they seemed to fit with each other, how they were able to follow each other's movements to almost perfect harmony, how they looked in each other's eyes with pure happiness.

After a few songs, with no signs of stopping, Barbara decided it was time to play her last card. Sneaking over to the stereo she selected a song that was put way back with the CDs. A few years ago, Zatanna came to Barbara once when she was on patrol and asked her if the song "Am I Blue?" meant anything to Batman.

Barbara explained it was the song that Bruce's father sang to his mother during their wedding reception. She only knew because she caught Alfred watching it, when he thought he was alone, on tape. Bruce was not aware that Alfred still had the tapes. Probably would never be, unless he decided to finally clean out the attic.

When Barbara explained the significance to the song to Bruce, Zatanna laughed and gave Barbara a video she managed to get a hold of. According to Zatanna, Bruce, as Batman, needed to sing a song to some enemy of Wonder Woman to save her. Barbara when watching the video was jealous that Bruce was not singing the song to her but some other woman, but could not help but be amused by it. The mighty Batman, singing for a woman. Dick would have killed to see this.

Now she had moved on from Bruce. She was over him. But she still cared for him, which is why when Zatanna called her privately; she was willing to help Bruce finally find some love. He deserved it. Zatanna had explained to Barbara earlier in the week that she had wanted Bruce to be happy so she first tried the date auction which ended in fiasco. She then tried a different route by convincing him to get in contact with Dick and Tim again. The witch then managed to convince Shayera to make Bruce realize he could have some fun so he could remember he still had friends. Now Zatanna needed Barbara to get Bruce to admit his love to Diana.

When Zatanna and Barbara planned their conspiracy over the week, she was startled by the witch. She always thought Zatanna was nice and sweet, despite her supposed "dark" image. But underneath that nice demeanor she was manipulative. This was why she was playing this song right now. Both she and Zatanna knew if there was any song to get the two closer it would be this.

When the first few notes of the song picked up, both froze. They were still in each other's arms very closely. In fact not even a knife could slice the gap between them. Bruce head was glowing in alarm. The voice of the Bat was screaming danger and danger over and over but he seemed to not hear it. Diana meanwhile had the Amazon in her head telling her she was falling in a trap but she too ignored it.

As if some magic was happening, the two began to dance again, much slower than previously. In fact it was not really dancing. They were just swaying back and forth. Barbara was sure she thought she saw Diana's eyes tearing up.

Bruce was internally struggling. They were on a landmine right now. Also he was mad at Barbara. She was interfering like everyone else. There was no way though she knew about that song unless Zatanna told her. The witch was still playing him all this time.

But the anger Bruce was feeling toward Zatanna was abating as Diana had lowered her head to rest in his shoulder. He could smell her hair which reeked of lavender and lilac. He was also pretty sure she was humming the song as well.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity the song ended. As quick as it happened, the close intimacy between the two was broken and immediately they broke apart.

"Bedtime Tim!" Barbara said.

Tim opened his mouth to complain but Barbara gave him a stern look and he relented. Bruce muttered 'night' to Tim and made his way back to the kitchen. Tim was following Barbara before he stopped next to Diana. She seemed distracted.

"Will be around here more often?" he asked hopefully.

Diana broke out of her trance, "What?"

"Everybody likes you here. Even Bruce, you make this place a lot happier than it has ever been."

And before she could respond, Tim turned on his heels and followed Barbara upstairs.

Diana stood perplexed. She came here to just be with Bruce as a friend and they both almost crossed the line. In fact they were on it right now. This was a mistake; this was not supposed to happen. But why did it feel so right? Why did she feel so content and happy?

She was willing to bet Bruce felt it as well. It was almost like they were meant to live this life together. In the manor, with the rest of the batclan, as a family. Together forever

No, she could not risk it. Bruce has made it clear he is not interested.

_"Then why did he hold you like that? With such tender and care like you were the only woman in his life?"_ a voice rebutted in her head.

A chime from the grandfather clock brought her back to reality and told her it was getting late. She needed to head back to her room in the Watchtower tonight. She at least should say goodbye to Bruce though.

However she found Bruce not in the kitchen, but in another room by a fire place. He was staring at a portrait in front of him. One was a man who looked just like Bruce except for the moustache. The woman however seemed to have Bruce's cold eyes. Diana had an inkling who these people were.

Bruce kept staring at the portrait. For the first time his parents did not look like they were looking down at him. Instead for some reason they seemed happy, as in proud of him.

Internally he was debating himself. Did his parents want him to be happy? Of course they did. But he could not forget their memory like that. Gotham needed Batman, or their deaths would be for nothing. But was it possible for him to finally have the best of both worlds? Could he actually be happy with someone and be Batman as well? It seemed possible now. But Diana did not want him anymore. He was too emotionally damaged for her. Yet when he danced with her, her body was telling him otherwise.

"Bruce?" said an angelic voice to his side. He turned around and realized she was standing next to him.

"It's getting late, I got to go," she explained.

Bruce nodded silently.

Diana paused unsure what to say.

"Well goodbye Bruce…"

But all of a sudden he was right next to her with speed that would make the Flash proud. He grabbed her hands with his own and looked deep into her eyes. Diana was struggling to keep her heart rate normal.

"Diana…"

"Bruce we talked about this…"

"Answer me honestly. Do you want more?"

"Bruce please…" this was tearing her heart again.

"Answer the question," it was not a command, more like a plea.

"It does not matter what I say. We all know what you will say."

Bruce paused and then absentmindedly began to stroke her hair with his right hand.

"What if I was willing to change? What if I was willing to take the risk?"

Diana's mind was screaming for her to go away and that she was walking into another trap but her heart had drowned it out.

The two leaned in toward each other, slowly and unsure.

Finally as if Eros himself had interfered, the two's lips immediately became locked together. They were both moaning in pleasure from the pent up desire and passion finally being revealed. Bruce had one hand on her shoulder while the other hand was on the back of her head. Diana meanwhile had both hands draped around his neck.

This was nothing like the kiss in the restaurant. This was what they both had long desired but forbidden each other from doing. Both the Bat and the Amazon in their heads were screaming at them, telling them to back out, but those cries fell on deaf ears. The two were lost in each other.

Finally after five minutes they broke away. It amazed her how the man was able to not breathe that long. 

For a while the two just stared at each with mix happiness and embarrassment.

"I am guessing that was more than friendship," Diana joked.

Bruce smirked at the remark before he opened himself to her.

"Diana. I am not good at this stuff. I need some time. I want to take this slow."

Diana nodded, "I understand Bruce. We got all the time in the world now."

"Yes, I still have to work out some issues."

Diana laughed at the remark.

"Yes you do, but we can do it together."

The two embraced again. Neither willing to let go.

Finally Diana, who would rather face the demons of Tartarus, reluctantly broke away.

"I still got to head back up. We will discuss this later."

Bruce nodded. "Goodbye Diana."

Diana sighed in her head, she wanted him to say a certain word to her but she would wait. Besides she was not ready to say it to him either. They were on unchartered waters right now, saying that four letter word to each other would be another big leap. They had plenty of time to do it together.

Besides, nothing ever needed saying between them. They both knew, whether they would say it or not.

*

The Phantom Stranger watched as the new couple finally went their separate ways. It was nice to see them at least attempt to try to work things out. No use to denying their inner feelings when time was fleeting.

"You are terrible," hissed an angry voice to his right.

Phantom Stranger did not turn around but merely muttered, "Hello Spectre."

"What are you doing here?"

"I am just observing. Is it a crime for me to enjoy the happiness of others?"

"Ha! Happiness?" the Spectre mocked. "This is just temporary. Look at them! They all think they finally have happiness! Little do they know of the impending doom, which you brought on them because you had to interfere!"

"I did not interfere! Lest you forgot I was allowed one chance to go back in time and change things and let the Amazon make the decision!"

"Which you wasted on a one in a million chance! Now look what you have done! Many of these people would have experienced happiness for a long time in their lives without your interference but now they are robbed from it because you have brought the future to the present!"

"That will not happen. You have little faith in them!"

"Ha! Even if things go according to plan, do you think Batman will be willing to sacrifice himself to stop the dragon? Do you think the Amazon will be willing to let him go as well?"

The Stranger paused, but eventually spoke with much cold confidence, "Yes."

"Well I think not. You know they will not make their sacrifices as long as they both are together. For them to be able to be willing to do it, they have to separate. Batman has to push her away and she has to reject him!"

"I believe that will happen, Spectre. Batman and Wonder Woman will eventually fall apart. He will realize he needs to make sacrifices for his mission and that includes letting her go."

The Spectre laughed again, "And they say I am the cruel one. I at least deliver punishment to those who deserve it. You though, you manipulate and interfere with their lives. Delude them to think they can be happy before it falls apart. You must appreciate the irony, your interference gives a slim chance for the world to be saved and also brought Batman and the Amazon together. However in order for that slim chance to work, you need Batman and the Amazon to push each other away! Talk about cruel irony."

The Phantom Stranger did not respond to the Spectre's accusation but stoically just kept staring ahead.

"Do yourself a favor and just give up. The world is doomed. He has sent me here to offer you to finally be free and be allowed to enter the kingdom."

The Phantom Stranger finally looked to his companion.

"Thank you but no. I have faith that the world and reality itself will be saved and to show that faith, I will stay here to observe. I am not giving up on them."

"You would deny salvation and be cursed to live forever apart from life and death on a slim chance? So be it. Farewell my friend."

The Spectre faded away leaving the man in the blue cloak to himself. What the spirit of vengeance said was true though. In order for Batman and Diana to be willing to make the necessary sacrifices they would have to push each other the way. A sad reality and the man wished there was another way. But there was not. It was the only way for it to work. The Stranger sighed before he too began to fade away. The hour was almost here.


	38. The Trials of Marriage

**I absolutely love how dense both Vic and Oliver are in this chapter.**

Mister Terrific stood in awe of the sword. He was in Helena's and Vic's apartment. Vic brought him here to attempt to get Holt to translate the inscriptions on the sword. They were not Ancient Greek but very old Germanic. Even though he promised Stein they would not tell anyone, he felt they needed to at least bring Holt. After all he was fluent in many languages.

"Well?" asked Vic impatiently.

"It's gibberish like the last ones. I do not know, this whole idea of a giant dragon destroying the world, it seems farfetched."

"As farfetched as a bunch of winged beasts popping out of nowhere and an alien god from space?"

"Point taken," muttered Holt as he lowered the sword. "Still, I feel like we should consult the League at least. I am sure the combine might could put some considerable defen-"

"No!" Vic shot down. "Stein was right. The less people who know about it the safer it is."

"Vic," Helena interrupted. "I feel like we should at least discuss-"

"Helena this can potentially destroy the world and you want us to wave it around in broad daylight?"

Helena shot her husband an angry look and stormed off.

"Where are you going?"

She did not answer but slammed the door.

Holt gave Question a confused look.

"She does not want to keep this secret. She feels like we will be safer if the League gets involved."

"She has a point Vic-"

"No. It is safer this way."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Keep it here. That way we can keep an eye on it at all times."

"And Helena is okay with this?"

"We are discussing it," Vic said flatly. "You can go back to the Watchtower now."

Holt sighed and decided to leave. He was tempted to tell the founders when he got back that Vic found the sword but decided Vic trusted him enough that he would at least give it another week before attempt to convince him again to get the League involved. He called Flash to ask J'onn to teleport him back up.

There was no way he was going to trust Wally to operate a complex machine like that.

Vic sighed as he saw Mister Terrific disappear from his living room. He better go try to find his wife now. But when he went to the door he was knocked over by someone who stormed in drunkenly.

"Queen?" Vic asked confused. The alcohol on his breath was strong.

"Vic! I need to talk to you buddy!"

"What is it?" Vic said while draping a table cloth over the sword. Luckily Oliver did not seem to notice in his intoxicated state.

"I don't think I can do this?"

"Do what?"

"Marry Dinah!"

This was not like Oliver to lose his confidence like that. Something was up.

"What happened?"

"Nothing but she just seems so distant lately from me. I think she is cheating on me!"

Vic rolled his eyes. Typical Oliver to misinterpret something so minor. And this was coming from the conspiracy theorist.

"What makes you say that?"

"She does not answer my calls fast enough!"

Vic held back a laugh.

"That's it?"

"Yeah and she spends all this time with Vixen and Fire!"

"They are her friends Oliver."

"O yea I guess so. But I know she's in to Bruce right now!"

Out of all the theories and postulations the Question had heard or even made in his life, this was the most ridiculous.

"What?"

"She wants Batman! That's all she ever talks about since he came back!"

"Well you got to admit Oliver, it is kind of big news. I am pretty sure half the League is talking about it. Besides she is not his type."

"What's wrong with my girl?" Oliver asked drunkenly angry to his friend.

Vic sighed. He was not really good at this stuff. He sure wished Helena was here right now.

"Well for starters, she is not Diana."

"I know. Their names are similar though. I forgot about that. Why does he like her? They are complete opposites!"

"And how am I friends with you," the Question retorted. That earned a laugh from Oliver.

"Funny guy!"

"Look Oliver. Dinah is probably just as nervous as you are about the wedding. Give her some time."

"Maybe we should do what you guys did. Just go to Vegas!"  
>Vic shook his head. "The press is already excited about your marriage. It is too high profile to try to elope!"<p>

"Oh yeah good point. I betcha Bat and Wondy are going to get married!"

"What?"

"She got back from a date with Bruce last night and she was very happy!"

Now this was interesting. He was gone for a week and now  
>Batman and Wonder Woman were civil again?<p>

"That's interesting. Wait then why would you think Dinah's cheating on Bruce?"

"I don't know, I'm drunk!" Oliver proclaimed proudly.

Vic rolled his eyes and left his friend on the couch. He called Helena on her cell but realized she left it at the house. He sighed; maybe after the walk she would be a little better.

*

Dinah was channel surfing while the phone rang. She was hoping it was Ollie. She had not been able to get a hold of him and was starting to get worried. Not that she was going to call the police or the League. She understood both of them being super heroes with their own duties would often mean they at times would be working late, but he usually would call.

"Hello?" she answered the phone.

"Hey D! It's me."

"Helena?" Dinah asked in surprise. Her friend seemed shaken up. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," Helena said before hesitating. "I mean-no. Vic and I had a fight. Can I come over?"

"Yeah sure! I think Flash is on monitor duty. I will call him to teleport you over. Where are you?"

"The roof of my apartment."

"Alright see you in a bit."

Dinah then grabbed her commlink. She never kept it in her ear anymore after the incident with Roulette.

"Black Canary to Watchtower," she said briskly.

"Watbtomer herb," she heard the Flash. He was probably eating again.

She heard a whack on something hard and a yelp of pain.

"This is J'onn, go ahead Dinah," he said coolly.

"You know that hurt!" she heard Flash whine in the background.

Dinah was trying to hold back a laugh. So much for the Earth's greatest heroes.

"Can you teleport someone to my apartment?"

She heard J'onn hesitate.

"Who is it?"

Dinah paused. It was J'onn after all who fired Helena from the League.

"It's Huntress J'onn."

"Dinah you know the Watchtower is not for personal use. Helena is no longer-"

"Please J'onn as a favor?" she asked with a little extra sweetness.

She heard J'onn sigh.

"Very well. What is her position?"

"She has her old commlink with her. She keeps it with her for emergencies."

"She should be on her way in about ten seconds."

"Thank you J'onn. Canary out."

Dinah sighed. She was probably going to have to bring some Oreos next time she came up to the Watchtower as a payback for J'onn doing this for her. Then she heard a whoosh and before she knew it found her best friend in her room.

"Helena!" Dinah cried overjoyed. Helena however did not seem to return such jovial feelings. In fact she looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Is everything alright?'

"No!" she said finally allowing a fear tears to fall.  
>Dinah led her friend to her couch.<p>

"Come on you can tell me what is it? What did you guys fight about?"

"It really was not much of a fight. He did not even raise his voice I did!"

"What happened?"

"He seems to forget that I worry about his safety all the time. He is so wrapped up in this case and so paranoid to not even ask for League protection that it worries me is going to get himself captured again or worse killed!"  
>"What is he working on?" Dinah asked curiously. If it was something like CADMUS again, the League should definitely be involved.<p>

"As much as I want to tell you I won't. I already promised him that I would keep it secret and I am not going to break my word. That's not even half the story."

"What is it?"

"I am-am pregnant!"

Dinah froze at that remark. She knew Vic and her were strongly against having kids.

"Are you su-"

"I am positive. I did the test four times!"

"But how-"

"I don't know! We got drunk a few months ago and I think we forgot to use protection."

"Have you told him yet?"

"I was going to tell him but I am not sure I want to!" Helena yelled. Damn pregnancy was messing with her hormones already.

"Why?" Dinah asked patting her friend sympathetically.

"I do not think he is willing to settle down! I saw how worked up he is in his work lately! He's not only putting himself in danger, he seems to forgotten that I do not want him to go rogue again and put his life in danger again! What if when he learns I am pregnant and does not change? What if having a child is not enough to make him realize how many people depend on him?"

Dinah sighed. She knew Vic was a nice and sweet guy but he could get sometimes too into his work. He was being an asshole, unintentionally of course.

"Give him time Helena. Give him some alone time so he can realize what he is missing," she joked and poked at her friend's body. That seemed to cheer her up a little.  
>"Well how do I do that?"<p>

"You can stay with me for a week. Tell him you need some space and you do not want to bother him in his investigation. Hopefully he will pick up the hint."

"But what if he asks about the baby?"

"Don't tell him yet! Tell him after you two finally kiss and make up."

Helena smiled. "That does sound better. But how do I get to the school from here?"

Dinah grinned. "Just use the teleporters. Holt owes me a favor and he usually is monitoring them most of the time."

Helena thought about it. She did not want to leave her husband especially when he was guarding an artifact that very dangerous men wanted but she figured there was no way to find it. After all Mr. Stein gave it to them so easily and he was protecting it his whole life. She thought the whole thing was stupid anyways.

"Alright. I will go back home tomorrow to pick up a few things."

Dinah smiled. Her phone rang again.

"About time," she muttered as she saw the caller ID said her fiancé's cell number. Dinah opened picked up her phone.

"Where the hell you been Ollie? You are getting me worried?"

"He's in bed with me right now!" she heard a drunken female voice on the other hand. Dinah froze at that remark. There was no way Oliver would cheat on her, No way. This was just a misunderstanding.

"Can you please put Oliver on the phone?"

The drunken woman continued to laugh. "You must be his fiancé. The one who treats him like crap. He wants nothing to do with you! He told me himself!"

Now it was Dinah's turn to be on the verge of tears. Helena looked at her usually reserved friend with alarm.

"Dinah? Are you okay?"

Dinah's face changed from pain to fury and before Helena new it she had tossed her phone at the wall which made a huge dent. Dinah then stormed off to her apartment balcony and let out her signature Canary call. But this was not like the one Helena had heard. This was longer, louder, and if possible more painful. It sounded like a giant animal in pain. Helena was amazed that nothing seemed to be damaged by that outburst other than a few crack windows.

However after the call ended, there was a loud accompanying sound of car alarms and dogs barking.

Helena rushed up and put an arm around her friend.

"Are you alright?"

"Ollie cheated on me!" she said while crying angrily. Helena saw her friends' hands were shaken.

"What are you going to do?"

"I am going to kill him!" she said as she stormed back inside.

***

Vic sat by watching Oliver snooze on his couch. His friend was so drunk that he was in no shape to head home. Vic did not want to embarrass him by calling the Watchtower to teleport him home so he was currently waiting for Queen to sober up. However Vic was starting to worry that Dinah did not call yet looking for her fiancé. She probably was busy though. Still he should probably call Dinah to give her a heads up.

He walked over to his snoozing friend and gently shook him awake.

"Pickles!" Oliver shouted drunkenly.

"Queen! Where is your cell phone?"

"What?"

"I need your fiancé's number to call her!"

"Don't you have a cell phone anymore?"

"No that is how they track you!"

"Whose they?"

"The- never mind! Just give me your cell!"

"Well you're out of luck because I don't have it!" Oliver replied crankily. He was having a massive hangover right now.

"What?"

"I went to a bar and met this girl. I went back to her place and…"

"Why would you do that?"

"I was drunk and depressed and lonely! Don't worry though nothing happened! We were both drunk and I realized I was making a mistake so I left. I was in a hurry to get out there and not in the best frame of mind at the time."

"How did you even get all the way over here if you were that drunk?"

"I asked Flash to teleport me to your place. He owes me a favor anyways."

Vic sighed and ran his hand through his hair. His friend was an idiot. He almost ruined his engagement because of a loss of a few nerves.

"Listen Oliver. Dinah is just excited to get married as you are. She is not going to leave you. You need to cancel your phone though, if that falls in the wrong hands that can be bad."

"Yea, yea. I heard you. I am just going to take another nap."

And before Vic could protest, Oliver had rolled over on the couch and resumed his snoring.

Vic sighed. He really wanted to find out where his wife was but she was not answering her cell. Meanwhile he was trying to figure out what to do with a sword that if stolen would destroy the world and his friend was passed out hung over on the couch.

Just then, the house phone rang. He ignored Oliver's groans of protest and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"O I am finally glad you answer the phone now!"

"Helena I have been worried! Is everything alright?  
>"Everything's fine. I am staying at Dinah's place for a while. I am coming to pick up my stuff tomorrow," she said coldly.<p>

"Wait! What are you doing?"

"I am giving you space Vic. This case is very important to you and I do not want to distract you."

"But I need you-"

"No you don't you have made it clear you have no problem going on your own without anyone's help!"  
>That stung deep.<p>

"Helena-"

"Can you keep it down?" cried an angry Oliver on the couch.

"Is that Oliver in there?" her voice had become more venomous if that was possible.

"Uh yeah why?"

"Tell him Dinah's thru with him since she is such a burden on him like I am to you! She's sending his stuff to his room in the Watchtower."

For a second Vic was confused by that remark, but slowly his brain started clicking things together. Oh no.  
>"Wait Helena you don't understand-"<p>

But she had already hung up. As if he had enough on his mind already. He was torn. He was bound to his wife but at the same time, he was the new caretaker of the sword. The world could not afford him to lose this; he needed to keep it secret. Helena was right, she could not distract him right now. Besides she needed her space from him. At least that is what he justified to himself. Now he knew how Batman felt. For the greater good, sacrifices needed to be made.

A snore from Oliver brought his attention back. One thing was for certain, it was going to be difficult explaining to the drunken billionaire how his fiancé had left him.


	39. A New Start

**Okay I have been spoiling all of you by providing a chapter every hour, but now the gift giving stops with this chapter. I am by no means done, but I am not posting anymore until I have written a sizeable amount again. All that I have planned left really is some chapters leading up to the climax, the climax, and the resolution, so the next round of updates, the pacing will increase. Feel free to comment or review in the meantime. I don't mind good or bad, I just like feedback.**

The weekly founder's meeting Monday was to say the least very unique. Not only was Batman back but the atmosphere in the room seemed to have changed for the better.

Diana and Shayera were no longer staring daggers, John and Shayera were no longer looking awkwardly at each other, and Superman and J'onn no longer were mentally communicating each other to react from another emotional outburst.

But the most visible change of all was Batman and Wonder Woman. Both did not seem to show any overt signs of friendship and seem to keep a cold professional relationship, but there were subtle signs. The way the two kept slightly glancing at each other, the small twitches in their facial expression, the hesitation when they would address each other by their super hero names.

Superman was grinning the whole meeting, he was glad this was finally working out.

J'onn was relieved that he did not have a mental headache for once and could relax. Shayera grinned when she noticed Batman's posture stiffen when Diana mentioned his name and elbowed John who managed to hold back a grin.

Only Flash seemed oblivious and was busily doodling during the whole meeting. The meeting was about the Stein case. The Watchtower had not been able to pick up a signal. They decided to try to new places to look and were going over likely places the man could be.

"I think we should consider looking at some Greek islands as well. Although the sword does not seem to be Greek, the shield was, it could not hurt. I propose Wonder Woman print out some likely islands and sites he would use because she is our Greek expert."

Wonder Woman's face flushed at the remark and she held back a giggle.

"Of course, thank you Batman, I will get right on it," on impulse she had grabbed his hand under the table which caused him to jump in shock.

"Batman, is everything alright?" Superman asked, not bothering to hold back his amusement. The damn Kryptonian had x-ray vision and knew what happened under the table.

Batman shot a glare at him as the rest of the table stifled laughs except a dense Flash. He still had not let go of her hand though.

"Come on! I got a date with Linda, can we wrap this up?"  
>Batman glared at the speedster which seemed to silence him, albeit for two seconds.<p>

Superman cleared his throat, "Then it is settled. We will have the Watchtower look over these new regions. Meeting adjourned."

Flash sped out followed by Green Lantern and Shayera, holding hands. Shayera turned around and winked at Diana. Lastly J'onn left giving a knowing smile at the two still sitting down. Batman glared, frustrated that no one seemed affected by it and got up as Diana held back laughter. Unfortunately, he ran into a mixture of red, blue, and yellow.

"A minute Bruce, I need to ask you something," Clark said with mock seriousness.

"This better be important Kent."

Clark beamed and looked at both of them.

"What is going on between you two?"

"Nothing," Batman muttered. The gleam in Wonder Woman's eyes said otherwise. That was the answer he needed. He wished J'onn was here so the two could telepathically communicate.

"Very well. Then I hope you two would have no problem having dinner with Lois and myself this weekend…"

"What?"

"We love to Kal!"

"Why?" Batman asked, turning his fury toward Diana.

"Because we have to catch up together. We have not done anything in a while and plus, have you seen Lois since they got engaged?" she looked back with a more threatening glare.

Batman relented after that. "Fine just don't be wasting my time," he directed at Clark before storming off as the other two laugh.

"Really mature Bruce!" Diana called back at her new boyfriend.

"What happened?" Superman asked holding back his laughter.

"We threw caution to the wind and decided to take the risk. We are taking it slow though."

"Well good luck. I think that is the first time Batman gave up that easily," he replied with a chuckle.

Diana said her goodbyes and made her way to find Batman. He probably was sulking around in a corner, waiting for her. Sure enough when she had walked down a hallway she suddenly felt his presence behind her.

"What happened to taking it slow?"

Diana smirked. "It is just a harmless date Bruce."

"There is no such thing as just a harmless date. You of all people should know." He did not like how she already was exerting this much control over him and they only just kissed two nights ago.

"So what are we going to do for dinner? Cafeteria?"

Batman grumbled.

"Fine I understand you do not want to go public with that yet. Give me a few minutes to change up here. We will go somewhere in Gotham tonight."

It was not a question.

Diana then pecked Batman on the cheek.

"See you soon," she said with a flirtatious voice and proceeded to walk down the hallway, making sure to add a little movement in her hips.

Batman smirked but quickly masked his euphoria with pained indifference. He marched his way to the Monitor Womb to be teleported into the cave.

Luckily Zatanna was going to be watching Tim tonight since she did not have a night show. She also was bringing B'wanna Beast.

Hopefully Mike remembered to find the tape that Zatanna had of him being forced to sing so he could destroy it before anyone else saw it…

*

Mister Terrific and Booster Gold were on Monitor Duty. As soon as Batman teleported, the two immediately began to look over video feeds for Batman.

"There he is!" Booster cried with excitement as a previous feed showed him walking with Wonder Woman along a hall way.

"It looks like he forgot to cut the feed this time," muttered Holt.

The two just watched and their jaws dropped when Diana kissed him on the cheek and began to walk back to her room in a very sexual manner.

"Vigilante owes me fifty bucks," muttered Booster.

"I cannot believe it, he is actually smiling!" said Holt with confusion. "Where are you going?"

"To update the cafeteria!" Booster shouted back not able to hold back his excitement that he was about to drop to the rest of the superhero community.


	40. Fools in Love

**Thanks for all the feedback so far, especially JCastle07 and Jana Girl 123. JanaGirl, there will be a shout out toward one of your suggestions in one of these chapters coming up. Also special thanks goes to Angry Lil elf whose prompt inspired me to get writing on this little piece.**

Helena knocked on the apartment door. It was the night after Dinah and Oliver broke up. She felt foolish that she needed to knock on her own apartment door but who knows how Vic would react now. He probably would think someone would be coming to steal that stupid sword. However it was not her husband who answered the door but a hung over Oliver Queen in Vic's tank top and sweats. She had forgotten he was in their apartment last night. Apparently Vic let him stay over for the night and next day.

"Helena?" he said squinting at her.

Normally Helena would laugh but then she remembered what Oliver had done to Dinah last night and rage began to build up in her. By hurting her best friend he had hurt her too.

Without invitation Helena stormed in knocking a confused Oliver on his own feet.

"Vic!" she shouted very angrily.

No response. She tried again.

"Helena Vic left. He said he had to drop off a package!"

Frustrated that she could not vent on her husband and that Oliver Queen was in her apartment she began to furiously grab some things to take with her to Dinah's.

"Helena what is it-"

"O do not play innocent with me Oliver! Think you can just do whatever you want and act like nothing's happened?"

"What are you talking about?"

Playing dumb. Typical man; caught red handed cheating and still denied it.

"You know what, this is not my concern, in fact I can have Mister Terrific teleport all your stuff from Dinah's over here since you seem to enjoy it so much!"

And with that she stormed out the apartment leaving a very confused Oliver.

She was really angry at Vic now. He is all about secrecy and mission importance, but he seemed to have no problem letting Oliver come over and stay at their place. What happened to secrecy is important? That hypocrite!

She was about to head back to the roof and call Mister Terrific but she ran into her own husband.

"Helena? What's wrong?"

Helena gave him a look of pure anger.

"Everything! You are so obsessed in this mission you forget about our marriage but when Oliver comes in all drunk after he cheated on Dinah it is okay. Obviously I see I am not that important in your life!"

"Wait Helena I need to-"

"What did you just do right now?"

"What?"

"He said you were dropping off a package, let me guess, you went to hide the sword?"

"How does it-"

"Yes or no?"

"Helena keep it down people might-"

"Vic?"

Vic gave up defeated. He could never lie to her.

"Yes but-"

"You see that is the point. Both of us had a big fight and I told you I am moving out, but instead of trying to fight for me or win me back, you continue to worry about that stupid relic!"

"Helena it is really important-"

"I am not denying it is important, but every time I make a suggestion you shoot it down without discussing it at all. You are acting alone Vic and by doing so, you are pushing everyone away including me. You are just like Bruce!"

That stunned Vic for a second.

"You know I found it funny how you would always be judgmental to how Bruce was being a jerk to everyone by attempting to do everything alone, but the way I see it, you are the same man!"

Vic was speechless. He wanted to tell his wife that she was mistaken but before he could say something Helena had called Holt and teleported away, out of his life.

He wanted to explain that he did care. He was waiting for her to pick up her stuff all day but decided he should hide the sword before Oliver saw it. He was just going to store it in a secret compartment on the roof he made. It would only take ten minutes. He had half in mind to call her back but he could not. It pained him but he had no choice. It would be better to let her blow off her steam and try to talk to her a week later. By then he would figure out what to do with the sword as well.

He went back into his apartment to find Oliver standing there looking guilty.

"What happened? She said Dinah kicked me out?"

Vic sighed better get this over with.

"She thinks you cheated on her because she called your cell and from what it sounds like the girl-"

"Shit no, really?" Oliver said tearing his hair.

"Yeah, I tried talking to Helena but she won't listen. It is better off if you let Dinah have some time to herself before you can explain-"

"Dude you do not know Dinah. Once you cross her, she never forgives. I have screwed this up!" Oliver cried and buried his face in his hands.

Vic sighed and sat next to Oliver patting him awkwardly on the shoulder.

"I know man, I know. I screwed up my marriage with Helena right now as well. You can stay here for the week until we can convince both of them to come back to us despite the fact we are real idiots."

Oliver sighed and looked at Vic.

"Thanks man, I am glad you got my back."

"Anytime," Vic muttered before getting back up.

"I am going to the Watchtower. I will come back in a few hours."

When the door closed, Oliver let out a deep sigh. He was upset he screwed up his relationship with Dinah, but he also screwed up Helena's and Vic's as well. He did not hear the entire argument but from he did hear Helena mentioned his name a couple of times. This was all his fault. Helena thought Vic was taking his side in he and Dinah's break up but Vic was just being a good friend.

One thing was for certain, he had to fix this. He screwed up his relationship with Dinah, but he was not going to screw up his best friend's marriage. But how could he fix it? Helena seemed to not want anything to do with Vic right now.

An idea popped in his head. He needed to trick Helena and Vic into meeting each other together and he would set up a romantic dinner for them. It sounded cheesy but it was the only idea he had. Besides, even if it did not work, it might get him on Helena's good side for trying and she could get Dinah to listen to his side of the story.

He just needed to find a romantic place. He could not do it at a restaurant because that would be hard convincing them to come. It had to be in the apartment. And then it dawned on him.

He would set it up on the roof. An outdoor view of the city, how could that not be romantic?


	41. Savage Plans

Bruce sighed as he pulled up to the driveway. It had been a long week and he was ready to finally get some relaxation. Now that he and Diana had been officially dating for the past few days, he found coming home more enjoyable. He was even limiting the amount of time he would be out on patrol, giving Dick much more liberty. Besides, crime was down.

He came in to hear the TV playing. Bruce shook his head. Tim should not be watching too much TV.

As he made his way to the living room he discovered that it was actually his girlfriend lying on the couch, totally absorbed in a cheesy romance film. That made Bruce grin. This was a sight to see; Wonder Woman domesticated.

"No use to sneaking up on me, I heard you when you pulled up."

Bruce smirked and lean down to began to kiss her repeatedly on the neck.

"Mmm, I thought you wanted to take it slow," she said between her moans of pleasure.

Bruce responded by continuing to kiss her at a much slower pace. That earned a grin from her.

"Very funny Bruce. Save your energy, we got that date tomorrow with Lois and Clark."

"So? It's tomorrow," Bruce said putting on a cheesy grin. He moved around the couch to sit next to her.

"Just a heads up, Lois called and said she wants me to be her maid of honor for the Watchtower wedding-"

"Of course," Bruce said while wrapping an arm around her shoulder so he could pull her in tightly, not really paying attention.

"And that she and Clark want you to be his best man."

Bruce stiffened at that.

"What?"

"You are going to be Clark's best man."

"Why?"

"Because he is your best friend," Diana said rolling her eyes.

"I really wish we had time to discuss this…"

"O cut it Bruce. I know you enough to know deep down you are excited that Clark wants to ask you."

Bruce glared at her. What she said was true. He was mainly in shock but a part of him was overjoyed that after everything, Clark had forgiven him and was willing to accept him again.

"Oh don't act like it does not faze you."

"But why tell me now if they were going to tell us tomorrow?"

Diana smirked, "Because Lois was not sure how you would react. She rather give you a heads up so you have time to think about it instead of you throwing a temper tantrum like you always do when people get close."

She had a point.

Bruce yawned he was really tired.

"Just promise me you will at least act surprise when Clark tells you? Lois does not want you to ruin it."

"Yes Princess," he said, making sure to add emphasis on her nickname.

Diana elbowed him in the chest gently.

The couple resumed to watch the movie together. And the next one after it. Just sitting there for the rest of the night. Together and peaceful.

0000000000000

Pierre was on the phone with a contact in Stein's company.

"Are you sure?"

Savage heard Pierre pause to wait for the other man to respond.

Pierre had hung up the phone.

"Master we must act now! Stein is dead!"

"When?" Savage asked. He was surprised Stein managed to last this long.

"He died about a week ago. Only his limo driver and one of the board members knew about it. They are planning on announcing it publically when they locate the sword!"

"And how did Hami know about this?"

"That board member trusts him. Hami was promoted a few weeks ago as that board member's personal aid."

"And Stein's successor has no clue where the sword is yet?"

"No that is why they have not gone public with his death yet."

Savage turned around to look out the window smiling. After centuries, no millennia of planning the world finally was in his grasp. The world would finally bow to his knees like it should. And no one could stop him now.

"Very well."

Pierre approached his master.

"Master we must act quickly! Let us use the eye to locate the sword!"

"As you wish," Savage said before turning around and grabbing the eye. He remembered when he saw the Egyptian priestess first craft it and marveled at how beautiful an object it was. He had become very fond of holding with him at all times.

"Pierre step forward!"

Pierre unsure stepped closer to his master.

"But Master. Should we not call all the other members in as well so we can locate it?"

"We are. We need to make the blood payment first," Savage said grinning. And before Pierre could react, Savage had pulled out a dagger and slit Pierre's throat.

Pierre collapsed to his knees choking on his own blood. He looked up into his own Master's eyes with a look of shock and betrayal.

"You said you wanted to save the world, your sacrifice will be greatly remembered Pierre," Savage laughed as his faithful servant died in front of him.

Savage then walked over the body and clicked a buzzer on the desk. Within seconds, members of the cult were pouring into the room. At first none of them noticed Pierre's body lying on the floor but finally one gasped and they all were eying it with much shock.

"Gentlemen!" Savage got the room's attention. They all feared his power and wrath.

"Pierre was so kind to volunteer to be our sacrifice so we can locate the last object. Hopefully we can find it before Sunday night when the full moon happens. Otherwise we have to wait another month."

Savage scooped up Pierre's blood with his hands and began to rub over the eye while muttering a different language. For a while nothing happened. Then the eye began to glow and the blood stains on it began to fade away, almost as if they were being absorbed.

A light beam shot out from the eye and hit the wall. It looked like a projector on a screen. The image was just fire first nothing distinguishable. Then an image began to become discernable. An image of a city was shown from bird's eye view.

"That's Hub City!" cried one of the men. However the eye was not done.

The image began to zoom in and focus on a building. It looked like a roof to an apartment complex. But just as quick as it appeared it was gone. The men looked at their master to find his eyes were still closed.

"Master?" one approached nervously.

Savage's eyes shot opened and he grinned.

"I know where it is. Arthur, take a team and come with me. We are going to Hub City. The rest of you head to the site with the shield, the grail, and this," Savage said, tossing the eye to a group of men.

"But sir," said the lucky member who caught the eye. "Where is the site?"

Savage grinned wickedly.

"I am sorry I forgot; it is on the outskirts of Metropolis. Use the eye again if you must, just make sure to hide any bodies you use. Cannot attract too much attention now. In the meantime, Arthur's team and I are going to head to Hub City for the sword."

Before any of the members could question their leader he had already exited the room.

Savage walked outside to breathe the fresh air. Finally the world was for his taking. There would be no stopping him. Years of planning and changing plans, he finally had the power. All he needed was the sword and he could release that beast from its imprisonment. He would then kill it with the sword and take the power he so justly deserved.

Looking up in the sky Savage grinned wickedly. The League would not be able to stop him this time.


	42. The Eleventh Hour

The past week, the Question had been searching for more information on the artifacts. Deciding electronic means and the Internet were not going to help, he decided to go old school and was looking for books. Of course the library would not be any help. The past week he had been using the League teleporter to hop around the world at book shops that dealt with the subjects of the occult and supernatural. He was about to give up when fate gave him a bone finally.

Wandering in a small village in Bavaria he stumbled across a small shop. The shopkeeper was odd and eccentric but understood enough when the Question asked him certain details about the artifacts and dragon. The shopkeeper believed the details matched an old book that was published in the Middle Ages in Germany. The book was based off a long forgotten Old Germanic tale. The Vatican however during the Renaissance banned the book and collected all of them to burn it, or so they thought. According to the shopkeeper, he had the last copy in existence.

Unfortunately being the last copy meant it was really expensive, but the Question was prepared. The shopkeeper was willing to trade the book for the journal of one of the founding members of the Illuminati that the Question acquired years ago.

He already memorized the entire journal so he did not need it anymore anyways.

Currently the Question was back in his Watchtower office reading the book. Normally he would do it at home but since Oliver was staying for the week, he did not feel comfortable doing research in front of him. Besides he needed complete silence and concentration. The book was in Old German making it harder to read.

The fact the book was missing pages did not help either.

He had just gotten to the part about releasing the dragon. It was a surprisingly simple ritual which had to be done on a full moon.

_Full Moon_

At first the idea of a full moon did not seem to stand out to the Question. After all there were so many superstitions centered on the idea of a full moon he was not surprised it was part of the ritual. In fact it seemed cliché.

However, something was nagging at the Question so he turned back to the beginning of the book which had a poem about the dragon. It was even harder to translate because it was smudged but he got the main idea. The poem talked about how the dragon appeared across the world on a full moon and it was imprisoned during the witching hour on the next full moon.

So if the poem was true, the dragon was around for almost one entire lunar cycle. That may be seen as a coincidence but he did not believe in coincidence. Skimming thru the book he finally found what he was looking for, a rough diagram of the different moon cycles. With each cycle there was a little paragraph scribbled onto it.

Of course Vic was not able to translate all of it; he was able to interpret most of it. The impression he got was that with each moon phase the dragon appeared to get stronger and more powerful. But what intrigued him the most was on the second full moon it was vulnerable.

_Vulnerable? _

Maybe that is why the ancient mages were able to imprison it but Stein did say they barely succeeded.

When he turned the next page what he saw disturbed him. The picture showed the full moon setting but the sun rising. It was not the picture that disturbed him, it was the little scribbled in writing as if someone was making a note on the book. What the little annotation said roughly translated to:

_For when the sun rises after the second moon,_

_The world will begin to perish in fire and flames,_

_It will be unstoppable,_

_When the sun rises after the second moon,_

_The world is doom when the cycle is complete,_

_When the sun rises after the second moon._

So apparently the dragon, beast or whatever it was became unstoppable after living thru a second full moon. Great. Stein was not kidding when he said if the beast was released again it would be the beginning of the end.

The Ancients had managed to capture the dragon before the second full moon set for the sunrise. However if what this book said was true, if that thing was released on the next full moon, by sunrise there would be no stopping it.

Vic sighed; it was time to bring the others finally in. The next full moon in fact was tomorrow night. He needed to talk to Superman to call an emergency meeting. Tomorrow he would bring the sword on the Watchtower for safe keeping for the time being. At least they had more information on what they were dealing with now.

He was about to head to the Monitor Womb to discuss this with Holt but his commlink began to buzz.

"Green Arrow to Question, Green Arrow to Question."

"What is it?" Vic asked a little concerned. He was not worried about the sword, more concerned that Ollie might have set the apartment on fire, again.

"You gotta come down here. It is important."

"What is it?"

"I will explain later-"

"Arrow I am a little busy right now-"

"Vic trust me! You will thank me later!"

Question sighed he had more important stuff to worry about. But Ollie did seem really exasperated. The Question relented, it would probably only take ten minutes. Besides he could teleport in and out and get the sword while he was there.

"Fine I will be down there in a half hour."

He wanted to look over the book a little more before dealing with Oliver.

"Great!" said Oliver excitedly before hanging up.

Question rolled his eyes. It was probably some stupid lame plan to win Dinah back over and he wanted him to see it. Oliver had already caused enough damage. Better letting things ride the course but he did not want to hurt his friend.

000000000000

Oliver put the commlink away excitedly. He was wearing a waiter outfit. It looked cheesy but he hoped it served its purpose.

"I must say I am impress Queen that you managed to set this all up, let alone convince both Vic and I to come."

Oliver grinned sheepishly.

"I knew if I called and said Vic had a freak out about aglets again you would come."

"That's not funny. Last time he did he threw the entire apartment's shoes out in the dumpster."

Helena was dressed casually which seemed to contradict to Oliver's professional appearance and the candle lit table he had set up on their apartment roof. When she came to the apartment, Oliver told her to come to the roof. When she rushed up, instead of finding her husband pacing on the roof like he sometimes did, she found a romantic table and Oliver dressed like a matre'de.

Her first instincts were to storm off. Not only was she mad at Oliver for cheating on Dinah but she was not ready to fix things with Vic yet. She still needed her space.

However the sight of the proud Oliver Queen on his knees begging her to stay and hear him out made Helena decide to stick around a little.

Oliver explained everything to Helena. How he had not cheated on Dinah but it was a simple misunderstanding, how he had distracted Vic by showing up at the apartment drunk and how he heard the two fighting. Believing it was his fault, Oliver explained, he decided he should do something to fix Helena's and Vic's problems.

Helena felt guilty when Oliver told her he believed he was the reason she fought with Vic. In fact the fight was more over Vic and his obsession with that sword, but she remained silent about that. Vic had made her sworn to secrecy on that and she would not break her word, not even to Oliver who now was blaming himself for the marital breakdown...

She decided to give Oliver's plan a chance, on the condition he would have to convince Vic to come, not her. She was amazed how he was able to do it.

"I take it you hope by fixing our marriage, you hope Dinah will take you back?" Helena asked shrewdly.

Oliver shrugged his shoulders and grinned sheepishly.

"Even if you did not cheat on her, you still violated her trust by going to that bar and having second thoughts about your engagement without talking to her. If you want my advice Oliver, give her more time."

Oliver seemed a little dejected by that. Helena sighed in her head.

"But, I guess it would not hurt if I were to tell you how sweet it was of you to set this whole romantic evening for Vic and me."

That brightened Oliver's spirits a lot.

"I got to ask though Ollie, how did you get everyone out of the apartment tonight so Vic and I could have a private dinner?"

Oliver smiled. "Virtues of being a billionaire, you have enough money to buy something that will convince an apartment full of people to go out tonight, whether its tickets to a concert or a gift certificate to a high class restaurant."

Helena laughed at that and Oliver began to pour some wine into her glass. The two were laughing and talking they did not notice a group of men had made their way into the apartment and were making their way upstairs.

"Master, apparently there are some people on the roof. What should we do?" Arthur radioed to his Master who was waiting outside the building.

"Dispose of them Arthur. Like I said earlier, we cannot afford any witnesses."

000000000000

Question sighed and was teleported a block away from his apartment. He did not want to teleport directly into his room without knowing whatever fiasco Oliver caused this time. Unfortunately that meant he had to duck in an alleyway and take off his mask. The Question could not be seen entering his apartment.

He was walking along the streets when some flashing lights caught his eye. That raised his curiosity, especially because it was near his apartment. His heart raced immediately when he realized it was his own apartment.

"_Damnit Oliver, what did you do?"_

He approached two cops standing outside their car flashing their lights. Why had they not gone in yet? They were rolling out the tape. Vic vaguely heard one mention about waiting for back up and SWAT.

"What's going on?"

"Stay back man!"

"This is my apartment what is going on?"

"Some lady from the building next door called. She says she heard some gunshots fired and saw a bunch of armed men on the roof-"

Upon hearing that, it seemed like the whole world went silent. They could not have found it. He was careful to keep it safe. This can't be happening.

Immediately Vic took off despite the two cops attempts to stop him, and just ran. They started to chase him in the building but this was his apartment, he knew it well. They lost Vic as he sprinted tenfold on the emergency stairs. Thank God they were out of shape. In a manner of seconds he was on the roof. He quickly slammed the door leading to it and used a broken pipe up there to jam it. That would slow them down long enough for him to collect the evidence.

When he was able to catch his breath and look at his surroundings what he saw horrified him.

The roof was a mess. There was blood everywhere, a crushed table, spilled food and wine. What alarmed the most was his secret compartment was torn open. Immediately he rushed to it.

The sword was gone.

A groan from under the smashed table stole Vic's attention. He forgot about Oliver this whole time. His own friend got hurt and it was all his fault.

Immediately he rushed over the table and pulled it up. There, lying in the mess and slowly coming to, was Oliver. His face was badly bruised and there was a bullet wound on his shoulder. He was also wearing what looked like a torn waiter's outfit.

"Oliver, Oliver!" Vic said, slapping his friend awake.

"What-what"

"It's me Vic, what happened?"

That seemed to bring the unconscious Arrow back to his senses.

"Some men came, about ten, some armed with guns, they surprised me. I did not have my arrows with me and they were professionals. We were able to put up a good fight before one sucker punched me and another shot-"

"Who's we?" asked Vic alarmed. The detective in his mind was starting to put all the stuff in front of him together and for the first time in his life, he hoped he was wrong.

"Helena. I brought her over here to try to give you guys a roman-O my God where is she?"

Oliver got up alarmed. Vic was not paying attention. He had been so obsessed with his case that he pushed his wife away. Now she was hurt and possibly kidnapped because of him.

Moving around like a maniac Vic began to comb the roof for any clues before a set of footprints led him to a ledge.

Scared and nervous, Vic looked over it. Over the edge was the roof to the adjoining building to his apartment. It had a lower roof that if one were to jump from his apartment roof, they would have a nasty fall.

And currently laying on that lower roof was his wife's lifeless, battered body.

"Helena!" Vic screamed and he began to climb his way frantically down the fire escape ladder.

Oliver had gotten up by now and walked over the ledge to see his best friend run like maniac to his wife. The sight worried him. Helena was not moving and she looked worse than he did. She did not go down without a fight. Never had he seen Vic lose control like that.

"I am so sorry. So sorry. It's all my fault. Please do not leave me. I am so sorry." Vic whispered between anguished sobs as he clung onto her lifeless body.

A bash on the roof door got Arrow's attention. The police were coming. Bad time to stick around. Luckily he had his commnlink with him.

"Arrow to Watchtower request for emergency teleportation right away. Location, roofs of Vic's apartment and the adjoining building. For three!" Arrow cried ignoring the proper protocol.

"Got it!" Holt said on the other end not asking any questions. "But I need to locate-"

"Just teleport anything living thing on the damn rooftops we do not have time!" Arrow shouted with desperation.

Holt hesitated before activating the switch. "Hold on. This is going to sting a little…"

Immediately Arrow felt a series of burning pain all over his body but he did not care at the moment. Helena needed medical attention right away.

"I am sorry if it burn but you did not give me a chance to be more precise with the parameters so I had to use more power-"

Holt finally caught sight of Vic cradling his wife in his arms.

Holt wasted no time. Immediately he radioed the medical bay to get ready to treat an emergency patient.

"Vic we need to get her to the med bay quickl-"

"Gotit!" said a red blur that zoomed by and before they knew it Helena was out of Vic's arms.

Flash had been in the Monitor Womb at that moment by chance and wanted to waste no time.

"Where is she?" a distraught Vic cried trying to grasp the air where his wife momentarily was.

Arrow placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It's alright Vic. Flash took her. Come on let's head over to the med bay."

Vic took a big sob and relented. He allowed Arrow to drape an arm around his shoulder and lead them away. However Vic stopped to whisper at Holt before they left the Monitor Womb.

"Call the founders. The thieves have the sword now."


	43. Secrets Revealed

"Best man really?" Bruce asked trying to sound surprised and in deep thought.

"Yes Bruce, Lois and I would really appreciate it. Our wedding is a special event and we would like you to be part of it," Clark asked half pleading.

Meanwhile Diana rolled her eyes at Lois. They both were trying to not laugh at how awkward their own men were being at this moment.

Bruce took an unnecessary dramatic sigh.

"Fine Clark since you need me so much, I will do it as a fav-oomph"

Clark had put a very startled Bruce in a bear hug.

"Thanks Bruce!"

Diana and Lois were on the verge of tears while laughing at the uncomfortable look on Bruce's face.

"You know it would not kill you to show a little smile now and then in public," Diana said while pecking a kiss on his cheek.

"Alright the reporter in me has to ask," said a very curious Lois. "What happen on that date? What finally got you two together?"

Bruce narrowed his stare, "I do not think it is any of your busi-"

"Well you see what happen was Bruce invited me to the manor…" Diana interrupted, ignoring Bruce's attempt to keep quiet.

However before Diana could continue an alarm went off. They were having dinner in Clark's apartment. Being Superman and the head of the Justice League, Clark had an alarm for the League to contact him there for emergencies.

Clark looked guilty at his fiancé who just smiled sympathetically.

"Go ahead Smallville. The people need you."

Clark got up to answer it. Bruce and Diana got up as well. Being part of the Justice League as well, they had as much interest.

In a flash Superman was in his costume. Diana spun and was ready to go as well. Unfortunately for Bruce, his armor was in the cave. Superman grabbed his commlink.

"Superman to Watchtower. Ready for transport. I also have Wonder Woman and Batman ready to-"

Bruce jabbed Clark and indicate his lack of costume.

"Uh I just have Wonder Woman ready. Can you transport Batman to the cave first?"

"Got it. Be ready in 30 seconds," said Wally on the other line.

"Since when do we let Wally run the teleporter?" Bruce asked concern. However before they could discuss it a flash of blue light came and Bruce was in his batcave.

Sighing he quickly grabbed the batsuit and his utility belt. Within seconds he had his cowl on ready to go.

"I thought you were going to let me cover patrol tonight?" asked Dick who was just descending the stairs.

"I am. Some emergency with the League," Batman explained. "Is Zatanna and Mike already here?"

"Yeah just got here. Don't worry; you know I would not leave Tim alone by himself.

Batman nodded.

"Thank you Dick."

Batman then radioed the Watchtower to transport him up. Within seconds Dick was alone again in the cave.

"Since when does Batman thank people?" Dick asked slightly amused.

00000000000

Batman teleported on the Monitor Womb to find the other six founders waiting for him as well.

"What is going on?"

Shayera shrugged her shoulders.

"Got me. John and I were about to go to a MMA event."

Flash got up and stared at his comrades.

"It's Huntress," he explained. "She's been hurt."

"How?" asked Diana concerned.

"I don't know but Arrow and Question teleported up with her an hour ago. She was not moving. Mister Terrific talked to the Question and next thing I know he comes to me to tell me to call in all the Founders, saying it's an emergency and to meet him in the Med Bay. Sorry, that's all I know."

All the founders look at each other. Whatever had happened, it was bad enough for Mister Terrific call all the founders up here.

"I guess we should head over there," muttered Superman.

The seven founders slowly made their way to the Med Bay. They did not see anyone on the way. Why was the Watchtower so deserted right now?

Finally they made their way to the Med Bay to find Holt watching thru the glass into the other room. Without asking the founders followed his gaze.

Helena was in a bed, her eyes closed. Her face was bruised badly. She was hooked up to many machines, one of them a heart monitor which was beeping really slowly. At her side was Question who was on his knees sobbing while gripping one of her hands. He did not seem to even notice that the founders were in the other room watching him.

"What happened?" John demanded. He did not like what he saw here.

"I would like to know myself," replied Oliver Queen who entered the room with his arm in a sling. "I want to know why those men jumped Helena and me for a rusty sword."

All eyes were on Holt now.

"What is going on here?" asked Shayera suspiciously.

Holt sighed, "Let me explain."

000000000000

The Question could vaguely here Holt explaining their off the record activities with Stein and the sword. They probably would be punished for this but he did not care. His priority was his wife.

The doctors gave her a fifty-fifty chance of waking up. Her head bore a lot of trauma. That was not the worse part though.

The doctors also told him she was pregnant. Was.

Due to her injuries, they were not able to save the baby. That broke his heart. He had a child waiting to be born. Of course he did not want to have kids, but he knew he would still welcome Helena and his child with much love and joy. Now that small part of him was lost, forever. The other part of him now was hanging to dear life. And it was all his fault.

"Please Helena. Don't leave me," he whispered while stroking her hair. "I do not think I can go on without you. I need you. I know I do not deserve you, but I need you."

He had refused to leave her side even when the doctors and Holt tried to force him out. He was the reason she ended up here and he was going to make sure he would be there to lead her out when she woke up.

If she woke up.

0000000000

"You have been operating behind our backs all this time?" asked Diana angrily after Holt explained everything.

"I thought it was better to keep this low key at the time. We were planning to let you know tomorrow…"

"Well it's a little late for now isn't it?" snorted John.

Superman raised his hand to signal silence. Of course he was upset at Holt for operating behind his back, but there was time for that later. Right now they needed to respond to what happened.

"So according to Question, Savage is in charge of this and he probably has all the artifacts, which he will try to unite them tomorrow night at the full moon to unleash the dragon?" asked Shayera relaying the facts Holt just told her.

"Yeah. I just learned this whole full moon thing myself moments ago when I asked him about it. He has been researching it all week."

"I want to ask him some more questions," asked Shayera, the old detective in her speaking.

"Bad idea," Holt explained. "It took me an hour to extract that from him. I do not think he can even respond to anything right now. When we tried to take him out of the room he flipped out. It's better if we leave him alone now."

Finally J'onn spoke up. "He is right. I can hear the Question's mind right now and it is frantic and fragile. It is better if we let him grieve for the time being."

J'onn was never really fond of Huntress but that did not mean he felt pain to what had just happened to her.

Superman decided it was time to speak up.

"The bottom line is if this dragon is released, there is a possibility we will not be able to stop it by sunrise. Our priority is to try to find-"

"What is going on here? Where is everybody?" asked Dinah who had just entered. She was resting in her Watchtower room before she got up to find the Monitor Womb empty.

Immediately upon seeing Oliver her eyes narrowed. Oliver stiffened, mouth agape, trying to find something to say but he couldn't.

However as she angrily scanned across the room she finally caught sight of the patient on the bed as her husband sobbed over her unconscious body.

"Helena?" Dinah asked in alarm for her best friend. She never showed that much loss of control before in front of other people, especially Oliver.

"What happened?" she demanded, holding back tears. When no one answered she made to charge into the room but was stopped by Oliver.

"Get your hands off me!" she threatened. "She's my friend-"

"She's Vic's wife as well. He has every right to be alone with her!" Oliver shouted back.

"I hate you!" Dinah said attempting to break his hold, but Oliver knew her too well now. This time she was not going to get out of this hold.

After struggling for a while and showing pure hatred towards her captor, Dinah finally looked into his eyes and broke down sobbing. Immediately Oliver released her and began to put a comforting hand on her shoulder while whispering softly to her. He led her out of the room.

For a while no one said anything but just sat in silence at what they just saw. Finally Superman cleared his throat again.

"The priority is stopping Savage from unleashing this dragon. How many members, reserve members, and part time members do we have available?" Superman asked.

Holt sighed, "Honestly. This is about all we got. We also have Zatanna and B'wanna Beast, but everyone else is still on that mission with Doctor Fate and Etrigan…"

"Why did we send majority of the League with them?" asked Flash incredulously.

"I am sorry but we go where we are needed. Plus Morgaine Le Fay taking over an alternate universe seemed at the time a bigger threat and required a lot of manpower."

Superman remembered feeling guilty he could not join majority of the League on their mission to save an alternate universe from Morgaine Le Fay due to his vulnerability to magic.

"Do have any idea when they are coming back?" asked John. He did not like how they were low on numbers.

Holt shook his head. "Could be tomorrow to a week to even a year. What about the Corps?"

John shook his head. "Majority of them are still tied down in that Galactic Civil War."

"I suggest we call Zatanna up here. She is the only magic expert we got. Maybe she can help us locate the artifacts."

"I'll get her," spoke Batman for the first time since he was there. Many members forgot he was there. Many of them also noticed that Batman seemed to be a little more exasperated than his usual apathetic self. What was he feeling?

"She never wears her commlink and she's staying at the manor right now."

"Why is she-"

"That is none of your business," Batman said angrily before looking at Holt.

"Teleport me to the manor," he said coldly before storming off, expecting Holt to follow him to the teleporter pad.

Holt hesitated before following Batman, making sure to keep his distance.

Batman was furious at himself. How had he not seen this coming? How was the Question able to figure everything out before he did? Had he really gotten that soft?

"_No you know the real answer. You have been distracted. They have been distracting you. She is a distraction,"_ hissed the angry voice of the bat in his head that he had been ignoring lately the past month.

"_But look what happen to Vic,"_ the other voice rebutted. "He placed the mission first and now he regrets it."

"_That is because he stupidly still has attachments. You need to let her go. Accepting her into your life was a mistake. She took you away from your mission…" _

"Bruce!" cried a soft voice as he got onto the pad while Mister Terrific typed the coordinates.

He turned to see Diana looking at him with concern, her arms crossed.

"Are you okay?"

"I am fine," Batman said with as much coldness as he could muster to mask his lying.

"We will talk later."

Diana looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself. "Very well."

And with that she turned on her heels leaving Batman alone with Holt as the teleporter began to transport him to the cave.

After the odd sensation he found himself alone again in the cave. It was still pretty late at night so Dick was still on patrol. Sighing he made his way up the cave.

Zatanna and Mike were on the couch watching an old Clark Gable movie. They both looked at ease and in love as they held each other. That angered Bruce a little with jealousy but he quashed it down.

"Zatanna," he said in his command voice.

The couple, alarmed, turned their heads to find they were staring not at Bruce Wayne but Batman.

"Bruce is everything alright?"

"You are needed right now on the Watchtower. They will explain everything to you. Thank you for watching Tim for me. I will take it from here."

Zatanna sighed and turned on her comnlink to call for teleportation. Mike did the same thing. He did not want to be stuck with Bruce by himself.

In two blurs of light they were gone, leaving Batman to himself alone in the room.

Batman sighed and made his way back down to the cave. He was going to try to see if he could find any leads from his research before heading up. Besides he needed some time to reflect.

This whole impending disaster was happening and he should have seen it coming. But he did not. Why? The answer was simple. It was her, Diana.

But he was happy with her. Yes he admitted it. Batman, happy with someone else. He did not want to lose her now. But now he was unsure if he could commit to his mission by being with her. He was stumped. Suddenly an alarm blared on his computer and broke him out of his own reverie.


	44. Warnings From The Future

_Back in Batman Beyond Timeline: One Month after Phantom Stranger's offer_

Terry sighed and looked at Diana. They were hiding out in Wayne Manor again to recuperate. Over the past month since the mysterious man offered to save their lives, the world had fallen apart. Gotham was one of the few cities not totally yet consumed by the beast.

"You know it would have been nice to have known that by sunrise after it was released, it would become unstoppable before hand," he said angrily as he flipped thru an old book on the dragon they had by chance come across. It did them no good though. It just told them there cause was hopeless. They could not win this fight.

"He was not kidding when he said it was too late," he added has he tossed the book against the wall.

"It did not work," said Diana sadly staring into space. She was the only Amazon left on earth. Before the dragon was released, her mother and Amazons had fled into another dimension with the gods. They offered her to join but she refused. She was not a coward and would not back away from a fight.

"Hey now we don't know that. From what I gathered on Bruce's research on time travel, when time is changed, it takes a while for the changes to be felt, especially if it is many years after the change is made. You know like a ripple or a-"

"Yes a wave. I know. You have explained it multiple times. It does not matter. It did not work."

"You don't know that-"

"Phantom Stranger said so himself he could not guarantee if his plan would work. It's over Terry. I am sorry."

Terry sighed and walked up to Diana and grabbed her hands.

"Well I am not giving up yet."

"But you did not even trust him-"

"You are right I don't but I have faith Diana. Even though it seems we are at the end I have faith. Besides I do not care if that damn book says the dragon is invulnerable now. It must have some kind of weakness."

Diana smiled at that remark. It brought her back to her earlier days with the League.

"You are so much like Bruce," she said with nostalgia in her eyes.

"Hey don't insult me," Terry said jokingly. That seemed to cheer Diana up a bit and bring her out of self-pity.

She stood and started to stretch.

"So what do you want to do this time? Aim for the eyes when we face it again?"

But before Terry could reply they heard a faint roar outside. The dragon was near.

"Well there goes our hideout."

But before Diana could reply a bright white light began to glow from the other room. The light then began to narrow and spiral. How could light spiral?

The bright light was now a vortex and began to suck everything out of the manor. Chairs and portraits as well were sucked into it. Terry and Diana could both feel the pull of it but held off.

"Well it looks like time has finally caught up," Terry joked.

Diana looked at the growing time vortex and back outside where they could hear the dragon a few miles away.

"What do you want to do? Jump into the vortex or try one last attempt on the dragon?"

Terry grinned. "Whatever happens, that vortex is eventually going to change the future. For better or worse I cannot say. Might as well get one last fight in before we go."

Diana looked at Terry sadly. She might never meet him; in fact he might never exist. But he was ready to sacrifice everything for the greater good just as she was.

She grabbed Terry's hand and looked into the white lenses of his cowl.

"For death," Terry said.

"For Gotham," Diana replied.

"For the world," Terry responded.

"For Bruce," Diana whispered.

Terry understood and the two warriors jumped out the window and began to charge at the approaching monster as it made its way up the manor yard with the growing white light to their backs.

000000000000

_Present Timeline_

The alarm was a device Batman had developed while he and John were stuck in the future chasing Chronos. While he was working with his future self, the older version revealed that he had been researching time traveling ever since Chronos began to alter it.

According to his future self, he managed to have developed a device that could detect when time had changed. The device itself was ingenious in that it existed out of synch with time. That meant it could detect when the future had been altered without itself being altered. A useful tool to combat time traveling villains. Let the past know the future had been changed so hopefully the past could stop it.

Batman remembered when his older self gave him the program to install on his computer which would alert him of any more time shifts after this mission. At first when Batman came back with John and fixed the timeline, he thought it did not work because his computer did not record any time shifts in the future. However a month later the thing went off without a warning and Batman realized it was just now detecting the reset in time he and John started in the future. That led to Batman concluding that the affects of time travel may not be felt instantly but instead after a certain period of time depending how far in the future it was, like a ripple or a wave.

Now that alarm was going off again. For a second Batman had forgotten all about it. But there it was, blaring again.

Immediately his suspicions grew. They were on the verge of an apocalyptic catastrophe and his little device was telling him someone had altered the future?

Batman began to look for more information on what the device detected. Another useful thing about the program it could not only roughly detect where the disturbance in time was caused but when. The computer began to spill out data. What Batman saw made his heart stop briefly. Not only did the disturbance occur in Gotham, but during a certain day that changed his life forever. It was the night of the date auction.

He felt like he had been hit like a train. The cold truth was starting to hit him hard. Everything that had happen that night and onward was not supposed to happen. He was not supposed to make the auction but by miracle he woke up. The eye was not supposed to get stolen but it did because he had lured the police away. He was not supposed to have won the three women at the auction and go on the three dates. The last month was not supposed to happen.

All that happiness he had felt was a lie. It was just a product of someone interfering with the time stream. It all made sense now. He and Diana being a happy, functioning couple? That was all not real. He was supposed to end up alone.

Why did God have to be so cruel and ironic like that? What gave Him the right to torture him, manipulate him that he could actually be happy?

"I hope you are happy up there!"

"Now that's not fair. I think it should be me you should be mad at," said a deep slow voice.

Immediately Batman turned around battarang ready. How could someone infiltrate his cave without him knowing? How could they even sneak up on him?

Batman saw no one but the darkness of the cave.

"Fear not I mean you no harm," said the voice again.

Batman saw movement out of the corner of his eye and immediately tossed an explosive battarang. It just hit the wall but no one else.

Batman heard a chuckle behind him and turn to find himself face to face with a man in an over large blue overcoat and fedora and two oppressive looking bracelets on his wrists which made him look like a prisoner. The man was about two heads taller than him, but Batman was not intimidated. Immediately he lunged to the mysterious figure and managed grab hold of him.

But it was like grabbing smoke. The next thing Batman knew he was on the ground and the intruder was behind him again.

"Batman I come to help you, not hurt you."

"Breaking in my cave seems more harmful than helpful," Batman sneered angrily as he got up. He decided he would not attack this stranger again, until he could determine more about him. As of right now, the stranger seemed to not want to attack him just yet.

"I must applaud you for excellent detective skills. I am impressed that you have figured it all out."

"What did you do?" Batman threatened angrily.

"Do not get so angry with me. I merely changed one thing in the past-"

"You had no right to interfere with my life!"

"Oh Batman this is so much bigger than yourself. I am nothing more than observer. I can see through all of time and space. In the future I saw the world was doomed. I usually am not allowed to interfere but I was allowed one chance to go back in time and change one thing, in hopes the future would be saved."

"And you thought it would be nice to play God and just change everything without consulting me?"

"Do not act like it is all about you Batman!" the stranger said, his voice finally raised. "I did not make the choice, I offered it to someone else who would be also be affected by it. In your arrogance have you not realized that not only your life but other people's lives were affected as well?"

Batman did not respond but the stranger had a point. So much had change in the past month for better or for worse.

"Besides I do not know why you are so mad. I just changed the opportunities you had. The choices you made were still based on free will-"

"My life this past month has been a lie!"

"Do not fool yourself Batman. Correct me if I am wrong, hasn't this change made your life better, happier?"

"My happiness is not as important as my mission! Your interference has been distracting me from my mission all this time!"

"I did not make your choices, you did. But I am not here to tell you to be happy. In fact I am here to warn you."

"Warn me?" asked Batman suspiciously. This man liked to talk, a lot.

"To save the future, I had to bring it to the past which is now. I cannot give too much away but to do that, someone had to make a choice, a sacrifice. Now it is your turn. Batman, there will come a time soon when you have to make a sacrifice. I cannot tell you what it is but I am confident you can figure it out."

Batman had enough and decided to pull out a bola to try to incapacitate his foe but before he could throw it, the stranger was gone. Leaving him alone in his cave again.

He was fuming mad. Just another super powered being trying to act like a god and manipulate his life. This is exactly why he distrusted metas. With their powers they felt like they could determine how everyone else could live their lives.

He refused to acknowledge what the stranger said about him being happy the past month. It could not be. It was the product of one giant con. And he fell for it hard.

One thing the stranger said was partly true though. He needed to make a sacrifice. He needed to let Diana go. She was distracting him from his mission. This past week has all been about her and not his mission. What was he doing when Dick was on patrol half the time? Watching movies with Diana so he could delude himself that he had a normal life.

The batclan and the Justice League he could still allow in his life. They did not distract him as much. Diana though, he could not accept her into his life.

Batman sighed and tapped his commlink. This was going to hurt.

"Wonder Woman, I need you to come to the batcave now!" he said angrily.

There was a pause on her end.

"Uh-okay Batman, I will be on my way down."

"_What are you doing you lov-"_

"_No she is a distraction an obstacle!"_

"_She belongs to you just as much as you belong-"_

The voice of the bat and the other continued to war in his head as he waited for the impending sacrifice he needed to make. He was Batman, alone now and forever.

Unnoticed, Phantom Stranger was back in the cave watching as Batman got ready to push the woman he belonged to away forever.

"Two sacrifices down, two more to go," he said mysteriously before fading away.


	45. Fury

**Don't hate me for this but this chapter needed to be written.**

Diana felt the odd sensation of being teleported and saw herself in the batcave again. It was always so damp and cold. Even her body which could survive in conditions way more adverse than this, she still never liked the feeling of it. It seemed cold and uninviting. Why did Batman call her down here instead of the manor? Probably wanted her to come and look over some evidence. She wished he would hurry. The entire remaining roster of the League was scrambling right now trying to find Savage.

She could not find him at first.

"Batman?" she called trying to find him in the darkness. Even with her perfect eyesight he was always still somehow able to blend in the darkness.

Finally she noticed the flashing light by the computer. Of course he probably was on that stupid computer of his. She made her way to it expecting to find him looking over some files, eyes narrowed in concentration. Instead she found him, cowl off, with his head hanging low.

"Bruce?" she asked with trepidation. Normally he did not like to show any sign of weakness like this. He seemed so lost, so tired.

"Bruce is everything alright?" she asked gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

That seemed to get his attention. She felt his hand push hers off of him, not too gently. There was something odd about that.

"What is it Bruce?"

"We are not supposed to be together," he said very coldly and slowly.

"What?" Diana asked a little taken aback.

"This. Us. We were never supposed to be together. We do not belong with each other."

"Bruce calm down!" The world was about to end and he was getting cold feet about their relationship. What the gods was he thinking?

"Look at this!" he shouted pointing to a bunch of data on computer. Never had he raised her voice to her like that.

"This proves that someone interfered with the time stream. And look at the time and place they did it. Here, in Gotham! The night of the date auction!"

"Bruce what are you doing?" Diana trying to keep that notorious temper of hers buried down. She could feel her heart slowly sinking. This could not be happening. Not again.

"This proves someone interfered with our lives. We were not supposed to be together. The date auction was never supposed to happen! That is why this catastrophe is happening…"

"Don't you dare try to blame what has happened on us and use it as an excuse to push me away again!" Diana shouted back angrily, trying really hard to mask her tears. It was taking all her self-discipline to not snap his neck.

"What have we been doing this whole time? Nothing! We have been distracted! This whole thing, it's not real. What have I been doing instead of patrolling or investigating? Watching movies with you, planning weddings with Clark like we have no responsibilities…"

"I never asked you to give up your mission for me Bruce! Those choices you made on your own! I don't even know you anymore!"

"Do not delude yourself Diana; you damn well knew what you were getting yourself in to. You have been just as distracted as I was. It is no wonder you have failed your mission from your gods!"

Now that really stung. She was about to punch but her heart stopped her. It may have been on the verge of breaking down but she was not going to give up hope yet.

Instead she settled for a slap. She made sure to put in just enough strength to make it hurt, but not enough to knock him off his feet.

"Don't you dare try to say it is for the greater good for this mission because you are too big of a coward to admit you are scared of being happy!"

Bruce seemed unfazed from her slap and leaned in dangerously close to her. His icy blue eyes brimming with anger just like hers.

"In this job, happiness takes second. I don't think it's something you and the rest never understood. It is why we have lost our advantage against Savage-"

"You are pathetic! You try to deny everything that has happened? I know you better than you think! You were enjoying it just as much as I was! And lest you better not forget, you were the one who wanted to start this!" she said accusatorily.

Bruce took a step back and his eyes resumed a cold and indifferent look.

"It was nothing but pure desire. Nothing more. There was nothing between us but that. Both of us were trying to find something that was not there. Or at least that was for me. I am sorry but, I _don't_ love you."

That hurt right there. Her heart had collapsed at that moment. The Amazon in her was gloating. Telling her she was a fool all this time and should had seen this coming. Bruce was not finished though.

"I am sorry that you still seem to be that naïve little princess that thinks there is always going to be a happy ending like a lame love story with a knight in shining-"

But Bruce never did get to finish his insult because the next thing he knew he was thrown into his computer. He heard it smashed. Luckily he still had his suit on or he could have suffered some potential nasty injuries. Diana stood there, face red, her breathing heavy. Her sapphire eyes were filled with nothing but raw anger.

Bruce always saw her lose her temper before, but this was nuclear. If it was not for his self-discipline, his heart probably would have beating off the charts with fear. Diana then grabbed him by the throat before he could react.

"You…evil…sick…twisted…foul...brooding...basturd!" she said slowly between breaths before throwing him on the other side of cave.

"I tried to give your kind a chance but you are all the same! Cruel. Sadistic. Selfish. You think you combat monsters? You are the real one Bruce! You torture those who try to help you, beat them down, destroy them, and for what? Because you are too selfish and arrogant to accept anyone into your life? You are nothing more than a self-centered bully! You will wake up one day and realize that you are completely alone and regret it before you die!" she shouted angrily.

Before Bruce could clear his head and come up with a retort. Diana had already used her commlink to signal Holt to teleport her back to the Watchtower.

Bruce just sat there for a while wallowing in his misery and self-pity. He was dead wrong. This hurt a lot more than he originally thought. And he was not talking about his physical pain. He had not felt this much pain in his heart except when his parents and Alfred died.

"It's for the best," he said to himself miserably as a few tears began to roll down his face while reflecting over his own self-afflicted misery.

000000

When Holt teleported Diana back to the Watchtower after getting her signal, he had no idea what he was bringing up. Diana had appeared with one look on her face, murder. Immediately she stomped out of the room tearing down the sliding door to the hallway instead of waiting for it to open.

Holt had to duck as the piece of metal flew overhead. Thank God it did not damage any equipment.

"_What the hell?"_ he wondered to himself as he could hear Wonder Woman stomping away from him.

She did not care about Savage, her mission, or dragons anymore. She wanted to get out. Leave. Depart Man's World forever. Or at least for the time being. She needed to go to Thermyscara. She did not care if there was an impending crisis going on. She was so angry at the moment; she knew she would not be able to do the job effectively.

She was already about to get on her invisible jet when she heard her name being called.

"DIANA!"

She turned around to find Superman standing in the bay arms crossed. His posture gave off intimidation but his face showed sympathy.

"Where are you going?"

"I am going home. Kal," she did not mean to sound angry at him but she could not keep it contained.

"Diana, we need you. The world needs you, especially now."

"No. I am too emotionally damaged or whatever right now. I will only be a distraction!"

"But what about your mission-"

"I failed! Obviously I am too incompetent right now!" she screamed as a few tears began to fall.

"What is going on?" he asked softly in contrast to her raising voice. That calmed her down a little.

"It's Bruce," she sighed.

Superman gently put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Hera, why could she not have chosen him? Why did it have to be Bruce?

"You know he's just being his usual self, he will come around."

"No, not this time. Besides, I cannot take it anymore, I am done with him."

Superman sighed. They were so close to finally being together forever and now Bruce ruined it. What was wrong with that man?

"That being said, you should not just take off like that Diana. If you feel like you cannot function properly on this mission, you can stick around still. Maybe help Mister Terrific on the Watch-"

"I am sorry Kal but I need to go home for now. I really need to heal. I do not mean to sound selfish but I cannot help you anymore. I am too much of a mess right now. Please, just let me go."

"Diana-"

"Don't make me have to fight you Kal, because I will."

Superman sighed and released his hand on her shoulder.

"When will you be back?"

She sighed, "I do not know. Maybe a week, month, maybe even a year. Good luck Kal."

And with that she pulled her best friend in an embrace. She might never see him again.

"Please tell the others goodbye for me, especially Shayera and Zatanna."

"Will do," he said sadly as she broke the embrace to board her invisible jet.

With one final look, she turned to Superman before the doors swung shut. She went to the controls and immediately began to take off.

She departed the hangar, leaving the Watchtower behind her. She knew it seemed cowardly leaving just before a battle, but it was for the best. Bruce was right about one thing, she was too distracted right now to do her job.

Thermyscara was on the other side of the world when she entered the atmosphere, which meant it was going to be a long flight. Unnoticed, the gifts from Apollo and Hera had suddenly appeared on the seat behind her. Also unnoticed, a new occupant was in her jet, watching her try to fight back the tears and anger as she flew the aircraft.

Phantom Stranger watched as the two gifts had magically appeared behind their owner before looking back to the jet's pilot.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," he stated silently before he disappeared from the jet.


	46. Alone and Outnumbered

Batman was downloading all information he deemed useful from one of his back up databases. After being tossed around by an angry Amazon into his computer, the hard drive was destroyed. Luckily being his usual meticulous self, it was all backed up into multiple databases. The problem was it was taking awhile to sort thru one of them to find the data and files he needed to take with him. It would be better to try to locate Savage back on the Watchtower instead of mope in self-pity in his cave.

A small part of him wanted to just give up and grab a bottle of whiskey and just drink to oblivion while sobbing over his own failures and misery, but he squashed it down. He had more important stuff to worry about at the moment.

While waiting for his laptop to have downloaded all the information he had selected, he looked around to survey the damage not just for his computer but for his cave as well.

It was amazing how much damage he could do between his pathetic attempt to fight the mysterious stranger and Diana tossing him around like a bean bag. He roughly estimated the damage would cost him roughly almost half a million dollars. Being a billionaire that was nothing, but still, it was a little ridiculous.

"_What are you doing?"_ the annoying voice chided in his head. _"You are acting like an accountant instead of going after her! Go before it is too late!"_

Batman shook his head. It was too late. He and Diana were over for good. It did hurt him, but at least he accepted it. Finally he had let her go completely. But still, his heart nagged at him. He was not being truthful when he said he did not love her.

The sound of Dick speeding up into the cave on the batpod gave Batman enough distraction to silence his doubts. It must be approaching dawn right now.

Dick got off the bike and began to stretch.

"Pretty quiet tonight. Had a friendly chat with Penguin today about some uprising drug smugglers…what the hell happened here?" Dick exclaimed finally noticing the damage to the cave.

"Nothing," grumbled Batman. Finally the laptop had uploaded everything. Perfect timing.

"No seriously, were we attacked or something?" Dick asked a little worried. "Is Tim okay?"

"He's fine. I just checked up on him, he is still sleeping. I need you to watch him today, maybe for the night too. I need to do some work for the League," Batman explained coldly as he made his way to the pad so he could be teleported back up to the Watchtower.

However Batman found his way blocked by Dick.

"You aren't going anywhere!"

"Try me!" Batman hissed angrily. The world was running out of time and Dick was acting like a spoiled brat.

"O I will. I saw your file on me the other day Bruce! It even said that you think I am in better physical condition than you. Do you really want to try to fight me?"

"Fighting is more than just physical skills, Richard. It is something you have still not fully understood."

Dick did not respond but instead with speed that could rival a meta, grabbed the laptop and flipped over to the other side of the cave before his mentor could react.

"Give that back!" Batman warned, pulling out a battarang. He was not in the mood to play games.

"How is that for more than physical skills? I know you got more of these but judging that you are in a hurry you probably don't want have to upload everything again. Tell me or I will break it!" he threatened while holding the laptop above his head.

Batman glared venomously. Dick was being insubordinate. He so wanted to go over and teach his protégé a lesson. But deciding that time was money, he figured it would be faster to tell than trying to fight Dick.

"Diana and I had a fight. We broke up. There you happy?" Batman asked sarcastically as he made his way closer to Dick to grab the laptop.

"What did you do?" Dick asked angrily.

Batman paused at that remark. He did not like how Dick was making it sound like it was all his fault.

"We both decided that we were being distracted by being together. We decided to go our separate ways."

"Distracted? She never tried to take you away from your mission; that was your own choice!"

"The world is on the edge of collapsing, the League is scrambling to try to stop an impending catastrophe and it is all my fault because I did not see this coming!" Batman said angrily. For a half a second Dick was stunned by the sudden volume uptake Batman's voice had undergone. That was all the time Batman needed to snatch his prized laptop back from Dick.

As Batman began to stomp back to the pad, he could hear Dick calling out to him.

"Bruce! You got to stop blaming everything good in your life whenever something bad happens! Have you ever realized that maybe bad things just happen because they do?" Dick retorted angrily while glaring at his mentor.

No response. That angered Dick even more. He decided to continue.

"What happens next? When the next catastrophe comes around, you are going to blame it on the Justice League and work alone again? Or are you going to kick Tim out again?"

Batman did not reply and before Dick could shout another verbal lashing, Batman was teleported away, leaving a frustrated Dick only a damaged batcave to yell at.

000000

Batman appeared on the Watchtower. He found that Holt was operating the controls but he was also donning on some armor. Since when did being on Monitor Duty require him to put on heavy duty armor? And why was one of the doors lying on the floor?

Sensing his first question, Mister Terrific explained, "Since we are short staff, even I am going to go into the field."

"You can't, the Watchtower will be deserted-"

"The civilian staff will still be here. We let the civilian staff in the Metro Tower be there alone all the time."

"But this is a lot more complex technology!" Not to mention a lot more expensive as well.

"If they have issues they can call me and I can instruct them to teleport me back up here in minutes. I am going whether you like it or not!" Holt responded glaring back at Batman.

Batman sighed but still kept his glare.

"Where are the rest?"

"They are in the cafeteria. Zatanna's trying to detect the objects. Superman meanwhile is charging up at the sun right now. If this thing gets released, we are going to need as much power as we can get."

Batman stormed off heading to the cafeteria. A part of him was a little hesitant to head over where everyone else was congregating. Diana no doubt was still angry at him and he was not in the mood to see how much damage she could do to the Watchtower cafeteria. He was pretty sure that broken piece of the door on the floor in the Monitor Womb was her handiwork.

He was near the cafeteria and he could hear muffled voices. It sounded like the entire available League roster was there. Shaking his head he attempted to enter quietly. However it failed because everyone had stopped talking upon his arrival.

Never had he seen so many people glaring back at him, especially when he was in costume. Zatanna, Dinah, and Shayera were staring daggers at him. He could have sworn he saw Shayera's hand twitch for her mace.

John and Wally were attempting to rival his own glare. J'onn as usual had his face blank but Batman could tell he was not exactly happy with him either. Only B'wanna Beast and Green Arrow appeared to not be giving him dirty looks, probably because B'wanna Beast was usually friendlier with him and Arrow was probably glad that there was someone to distract Dinah's rage from himself at the moment.

He noticed one person missing from the room.

"Where is Diana?"

"She left," Zatanna said coldly. Never was she this angry at him.

"What?"

"She left because you are a stupid asshole!" Shayera yelled back. No one hurt her best friend like that. She was about to charge at Batman and beat some sense into him with her mace but was held back by John's steady grip.

"Take your hands off me Stewart!" she shot back, her eyes screaming murder to her fiancé.

Before John could retort, J'onn stood up.

"Enough. We cannot afford to be at each other's throats right now. We are short on personnel…"

"Partly because he drives them away," muttered Flash darkly.

"What I do in my personal life is none of your concerns! Now can we get back to saving the world instead of acting like a bunch of high school students?" Batman responded angrily.

That seemed to calm everyone down. Majority of the room was still staring him down, but they all understood there was too much at stake to be chewing him out right now for being a dick to such a lovely woman who deserved better treatment.

Sensing everyone was back on focus, he looked to J'onn.

"Any progress?"

"I tried searching for Savage and his men telepathically but he must have anticipated this somehow. I have not been able to detect them. Zatanna in the meantime has been trying to see if she could sense the objects."

"How has that been going?" Batman asked at her.

Zatanna wanted to slap the stubborn jerk or turn him into something unfortunate but thought better of it.

"The artifacts are really old and complex magic. When they were made, there must have been a lot of powerful spells to conceal it so no one could detect them magically. Until one of the artifacts is used for magical purposes, I will not be able to detect any of them."

"So basically we are in wait-and-see mode right now?"

"You got a better plan?" she shot back.

Batman stood a little taken aback and dumbfounded. That earned a smirk from Shayera.

Defeated he sat down. For about two hours, everyone just sat there awkwardly. The overt tension in the room was suffocating. No one dared to speak again lest they risked being the victim to an eruption of anger. Finally Batman got up again to speak.

"It is early in the morning on the eastern seaboard of America. That means it has passed midnight already for about the first third of the time zones. We can probably start crossing off some areas Savage will not be in since Zatanna has not detected anything yet."

None responded to his suggestion for a second. Finally J'onn stood up.

"He is right. I will head to the Monitor Womb and work with Mister Terrific to start narrowing it down. After a few more hours if nothing happens, our parameters will be narrower and I think it will allow us to send members back on Earth in likely places."

"What is with the whole midnight thing?" Flash asked confused.

"The Question told Mister Terrific that the dragon can only be released on a full moon at midnight," John reminded Flash. The damn kid had short term memory loss and a short attention span.

"Yeah but do you believe him? I mean he was pretty distraught over his wife being in a coma. He still is clinging onto her body right now muttering random stuff."

"Vic may be unable to do anything more right now, but I trust the guy," Green Arrow said, defending his friend. "If he says that this dragon is going to be released at midnight then it is going to be released at midnight."

He was so upset and angry with himself at how he was unable to protect Helena. That was why he refused to stay up on the Watchtower in the med bay. His shoulder still hurt like hell from the bullet wound which would hamper his archery and combat skills, but he was not going to sit by while the rest of his teammates struggled.

"Are you sure this is all we have?" asked Shayera, not satisfied with their small numbers.

"We have Superman and Mister Terrific. We have managed to get some outside help though. I have been telepathically communicating with Mister Terrific and he has just teleported them up."

"Who?" asked Dinah confused. She thought everyone, even the reserved members were still in another universe. The only "outside help" she could think of was Helena who was currently clinging to-

No she could not think about that right now. She needed to stay focus. The world was in danger and she could not be fretting over her best friend right now.

As if answering J'onn's question the doors opened and in step two young adults clad in black.

Batman's white lenses widened in surprise. Not only was Nightwing standing in the cafeteria, but Batgirl as well. How the hell did Barbara get the costume back?

"What…are…you…"

"Hello to you too," muttered Dick, not letting Batman finish his question. Batgirl meanwhile was giving Batman an angry glare.

"Dick called the Watchtower after you left and learned that you were short on people. Dick offered himself and me."

"But you have not donned the mantle in over a year…"

Barbara snorted. "Please Bruce, you think because you took my costume away from me I would not be able to make another one? I have been secretly patrolling the streets with Dick all week. Had a feeling that you would need my help soon."

"Where's Tim?"

"He's safe with Leslie. Face it Bruce, you are not going to kick us out. We are here to help the League not you. If you do not like it, then you can leave."

Batman showed signs he was going to say something back but the rest of the people in the Watchtower was glaring back at him. He was all alone on this one.

"Fine," he muttered. Before storming out to find some solitude to calm himself.

Shayera slapped Barbara on the back.

"Way to go red, I love it when you kids put him in his place."


	47. Enter the Dragon

**We are finally approaching the beginning of the end, please enjoy. Special thanks to Angry lil elf, Jana Girl, and Scentsy for being the most prolific reviewers. And to the anonymous reviewer who does not like BMWW. Please get an account, I would like to continue to debate without inflating my review numbers.**

Arthur nursed his wounds as Hami laughed at him.

"Seriously? You were almost defeated by a waiter and some lady?"

"They were not just some lady and waiter. They probably were guardians for the sword."

"I doubt it. The board member I was working for made it sound like Stein was so paranoid he never had anyone guard the sword. Face it. You can't even take on two civilians with nine guys behind your back."

Arthur lunged threateningly at a laughing Hami but in vain. Hami was easily able to shift over and avoid the attack.

"Too slow," he mocked. Before Arthur could retaliate, a booming hoarse voice was heard.

"Shut you idiots!" growled Savage as he observed the sky. They were in the woods on the outskirts of Metropolis. According to the eye when Savage used it, the gateway was right here. Unfortunately, he had to wait until midnight tonight.

The wait did not bother him. Being immortal had taught him patience. He was getting annoyed being stuck with his men. They were idiots, fanatics. All devoted to an insane ideology. But they had their uses. He was surprised they had managed to find the shield and the grail without his guidance. Maybe he should reward him once he took over the world.

He currently was holding the sword of Thor right now. One strike should do it. And then the power would be his. He would need to grab the shield as well for some protection. That was his plan years ago. Release the dragon, slay it with the sword and its power would be his. The ancient mages said that he would not be able to control it, fools. He was Vandal Savage.

And he would have been ruling the world years ago if those insects had not decided to use the artifacts to banish the dragon and hide them from him. But he was stubborn and persistent. He eventually found them. By sunrise tomorrow all that power would be his.

000000000

"What time is it?"

"Metropolis Time? About 1145."

Batman sighed. He was paired up with Superman right now. He had a feeling that Superman requested to be his partner. After it had reached midnight in the Caribbean, the League decided that the gateway must be somewhere in the Americas. The available roster went into pairs scattered around the two continents in hopes of intercepting Savage before the beast was release. Zatanna was still on the Watchtower attempting to detect Savage while Mister Terrific stood by ready to emergency teleport everyone if needed.

Flash was with Arrow and B'wanna Beast somewhere in Brazil, John and Shayera were far north, J'onn and Dinah were in Central America, Dick and Barbara were in Gotham. That left Batman and Clark in Metropolis. Currently Clark and he were sitting on the rooftop. Clark was trying to use his super senses to detect anything. No luck yet.

"If J'onn could not detect them telepathically, they must be using some type of magic to cloak themselves. That probably includes your Kryptonian DNA," Batman criticized.

Superman ignored him for a second.

"It's better than doing nothing."

For a while the two continued to just stay on stakeout in solemn silence. Stakeouts with Clark were nothing like stakeouts with Diana. There usually was not as much tension because Clark respected his privacy. However there was something different this time and not because it was the first mission the World's Finest had done together in over a year. No Batman could sense the Kryptonian was itching to talk about something.

"What happened with you and Diana?"

"None of your business."

"It is my business! Especially because she is my best friend as you are as well."

Batman refused to dignify that retort with a response. Clark however was not done.

"She was really upset, you could have handled it differently-"

"I do not want to talk about it."

"Look I know you do not usually like to confront problems but-"

"I said I do not want to talk about it Clark! All of you metas on your high horses like to think you know me and understand me but you don't, none of you. Not even you! If you even had an ounce of what it was like to be me, your whole naïve outlook on life would be shattered!" Batman snapped.

That startled the two heroes. Never did Batman vent like that in the open air.

Superman paused before speaking up again.

"You are right. I do not understand you Bruce, but that does not mean I know you. I may never understand why you feel the need to distance yourself from others, but I do know you usually do that after you feel like something bad has happened. This thing with Savage, it is not your fault."

Batman ignored him to continue to glare on the streets below.

Superman was about to give up when he heard a sigh. Did Batman just sigh?

"We were not supposed to be together."

"What?"

"Diana and I. We were not meant to be. I actually believed we could work it out, that maybe I finally could find someone to be with but I should have known it was destined for failure."

"You cannot be sure of that-"

"Someone interfered with the time stream."

"What?" Superman asked confused. Out of all the excuses he expected, not that one.

"After having a few missions related to time travel, I had developed a device to allow us to detect any changes to the time stream. Someone interfered with it which led me to attending to the date auction that night."

"Bruce that was a freak accident. I was there remember-"

"It would never have happened if time was supposed to go like it should have. Long story short, everything that has happened in the past month is all a lie. Savage getting the artifacts, me coming back to the League, me and Diana trying a relationship, all of it is just a product of colossal lie caused by some idiot interfering with time."

Superman refused to believe that. Bruce was just trying to justify his break up with Diana. "Then what about Lois and me?"

Batman did not answer that. Superman prodded.

"And what about you're reunion with Tim? Are you telling me you are going to send him back to the hospital under the pretense your family reunion was a lie?"

Still no response.

"See Bruce, you cannot always try to see the worse in everything."

"Even if that is true, my relationship with Diana was not doing me any good."

"Now that's a load of bull, you were actually happy!"

"My happiness is second to my mission. She was becoming a distraction just as I was to her. It is why we have lost our advantage to this case."

Superman rolled his eyes. Batman may have had his reasons, but he was going to make it his mission to get his two friends back together after this crisis.

"Besides it's too late," Batman sighed sadly.

"It's not too late for anything. If I had that attitude with Lois, I probably would not be engaged to her."

Batman sighed in his head. Deep down, he knew Clark was his friend, a good friend. Probably the only friend he had left seeing that the rest of the League including Zatanna hated him. But it was his duty, his destiny to do whatever it took for the greater good. His own welfare and happiness came a distant second.

000000

Finally after piloting for what seemed forever she had reached Thermyscara. She ignored Mister Terrific's attempts to try to call her on her plane's radio. They would not be able to track her. She needed to be alone. Easily she could have returned to Thermyscara a lot earlier but she was still full of rage and anger she needed to let loose some steam. Piloting randomly over the continent of Europe did the trick. When she arrived at Thermyscara, she knew it would be roughly approaching midnight in America. That meant if her friends had not found Savage yet, it more than likely meant he would be found somewhere in the Americas. She really wished them the best of luck.

A part of her earned to turn the plane around and immediately join her friends in the good fight but she could not. Her heart was not in it anymore. It had broken, collapsed. The only thing she desires was to be home. She did not care if she was banished. If the Amazons had to force her off so be it. She just wanted to be with her mother.

What she did not expect was to see was her mother waiting for her with a look of great relief on her face as she landed the plane.

"Mother?" Diana asked unsure.

Hippolayta, putting aside all forms of professionalism ran up and embraced her daughter. Diana was sure she was crying.

"I am so glad you are home, my little sun and stars. I thought I would never see you again."

"What happened mother?" Diana asked alarmed.

"The gods have left this world. The omens they spoke are coming true. They left last week."

"What?" Diana asked betrayed. Her entire life she was taught that their gods would always protect them for their faith. To leave them behind after everything?

"They abandoned us?" asked Diana not hiding the anger in her voice. Her faith was already shattered once by a man. She did not need it shattered twice by her own gods.

"No. They have offered us to join them on this day!"

"Join them?"

"Many gods, not just ours are leaving this world. Within a day, a foul beast will be released from the bowels of the earth and will soon be unstoppable. The gods have decided after centuries of devotion to them, we deserve our reward. They have decided to take us with them into paradise and avoid this fate."

"Is not Thermyscara safe enough?"

"My daughter I am afraid this is the end of everything, including Thermyscara. We are blessed to escape such cruel fate."

"But what about the rest of the world?" Diana asked, a little alarmed by her mother's callousness towards the rest of creation.

Hippolayta sighed and walked away from her daughter.

"I may still never have fully trusted men, but I have seen signs that many of them are noble. Unfortunately, the end is near. The gods have only offered this honor to the Amazons. I am sorry daughter, but we must leave them behind to their fates."

"So you are going to just turn and flee? I thought we were warriors!"

"We are Diana, but we are not going to fight a hopeless fight. The end is inevitable," Hippolayta warned as she bowed her head sadly. Queen of Amazons she may have been, but that did not mean she regretted the massive loss of life which would be happening soon.

"So you are leaving me?"

Hippolayta immediately shot her head up.

"Of course not, no! The gods have offered you a place as well. You are still our champion!"

"But I failed my mission!"

"It does not matter! You tried. Your main mission was to warn Man's World about the omens and investigate them. The gods have decided that you had done enough and had succeeded in countless other missions to be allowed join us."

"But why did they not send a messenger?"

"This was why I was so eager to see you. They knew you would never leave in the middle of the mission. The gods wanted to offer this to you when you have chosen to leave Man's World. I was afraid you would not come before we left."

And with that the queen hugged her daughter again. This was happening too fast. True Diana had left Man's World, but she only plan to leave for an indefinite time, not forever.

"But my friends are out there! I cannot just leave them!"

"But you did daughter! As much as you loved and cared for them you still came back when they were getting ready to face their darkest hour."

That stung a little.

"I am not a coward!"

"I never said you were! The point is you have already left them. If you leave now you will be committing suicide. You do not have enough time to stop this thing from escaping its prison. Your friends' cause is hopeless. Diana, please. Do not make me have to lose you!"

Diana never once thought she would see her own mother beg her. The proud queen was on her knees begging with tears in her eyes. It sickened her to see her mother in such a state like that.

"Please Diana," she whispered. "It is still your decision, but after all this, do not leave us. You are an Amazon. Do not leave your own people."

Diana stood there unsure. Her friends were out there, possibly dying right now and she was going to abandon them? Usually her own pride and stubbornness would take over and she would charge into the battle no matter how hopeless it seemed. She would never abandon her friends. But things had change.

She already lost someone close to her. She did not think her heart could deal with the pain of losing her own people, including her own mother.

Diana sighed. This was the end of her journeys in Man's World. Her time with the League was over. The mantle of Wonder Woman was gone.

"I will join you mother," she said reluctantly. She did not want to fight anymore. She just wanted to be with her family. Happy for once and not deal with the pain and heartache anymore, even if that meant turning her back on her friends. It was like making a deal with Hades.

Hippolayta seem to not notice Diana's overall resignation.

"Splendid. Come on we will have one last feast on this paradise before we leave to the next one!"

And with that the queen led her away with her Amazon guard.

The thing about Thermyscara, no man was allowed to set foot there. Sure that rule was broken a few times, but still, it was nearly impossible for any mortal man to find the island.

But only for a mere mortal man.

Standing on the beach unnoticed stood the Phantom Stranger as he watched the queen took her reluctant daughter away from the invisible plane.

"I am sorry Princess Diana, but your story is not quite over yet," he mused before fading away. The final battle was about to begin.

000000000

Mister Terrific paced back and forth on the Monitor Womb as Zatanna had her eyes closed. She tried to concentrate as much as she could but still, she could not detect the artifacts.

Finally Mister Terrific checked the clock.

"It is almost one on the eastern seaboard. I guess we can cross that off as well finally. I will transport Dick and Barbara from Gotham and see if they can help out Bruce and Clark in Metropolis in a half hour."

"Any word from them?" she asked hopefully.

"Nope. But stay alert. It is almost approaching midnight on Metropolis."

Zatanna sighed. There were only a few time zones left. If Savage was going to unleash the dragon, it would be soon.

"It's a shame Diana took that staff and crystal glass with her," muttered Holt angrily. "They could have been useful."

"I do not think she took them."

"They are gone. We have checked her room and the embassy. Does not matter, probably useless anyways," Holt said angrily looking like he was about to give up.

"Holt it's alright I am sure we will suce-aaaaaaaaaaah!"

Zatanna closed her eyes. She had detected a powerful aura of magic. So powerful it almost caused her head to explode, and she was up in space. Those artifacts really did have some ancient magic in them.

She almost collapsed but was caught by Holt.

"What is it? What did you see?"

Zatanna rubbed her temples. What she would give to have a perfume bath right now. She had one massive headache from detecting those artifacts.

"They-they are about five miles north from Metropolis in the woods."

Holt dropped her and immediately ran to the screen.

"All units prepare for emergency teleport to Metropolis in thirty seconds. I repeat, prepare for emergency teleport in thirty seconds. Attention Team Bravo!"

"This is Team Bravo!" shouted the urgent voice of Superman over the radio.

"Zatanna has detected Savage! They are in the woods north to Metropolis! We will try to meet you up there but in the meantime head over-"

"On it!" Superman cried before static was heard.

Holt quickly began to type in the coordinates as Zatanna got to her feet and brush herself off.

"Are you sure you are ready to go?" Holt asked unsure.

"You think I am going to stay up here when even you are leaving?"

"Good point."

The two heroes jumped on the teleport pad.

"Are you sure it is wise to leave the Watchtower with just the staff?"

"Not at all," Holt said finitely as the two felt their molecules pulled apart.

00000000

Superman soared off in the sky as fast as he could, carrying Batman with him.

Normally Batman would not like to have Superman carry him but they were in a hurry at the moment.

Superman finally reached the woods on the outskirts of Metropolis and began to hover over the area.

"Can you see anything?" Batman asked. Any kind of vision that Superman had would help at the moment.

"No," Superman said frustratingly. "You were right. They must be cloaking it somehow."

Normally Batman would give a little smirk when the proud Superman admitted he was occasionally not perfect, but now was not the time.

"I see a blue flash. That is where the others are. Let us meet them and see if Zatanna can detect them."

The duo flew over to the outskirts of the woods to meet with the rest of their team.

Everyone had the same look on their face. Batman had seen it before. When they battled Darkseid years ago, all the League members, even Superman and Wonder Woman had the same look on their face. It was the look that showed they were not sure they would succeed this time. It was the look that showed they were unsure if they would be coming back home today.

"I could not find them, even with x-ray and infrared vision," Superman explained as he lowered Batman and himself to the ground.

"It's alright, Zatanna will take over. Shayera, get up front with her. Your mace can maybe break through any magical defenses they have," Holt said taking charge of the group.

Zatanna stepped forward and tried to concentrate again. She felt the headache again, much more intense than the last time because she was closer. But she was not going to give in. Her friends were counting on her.

"This way," she grunted in pain. B'wanna Beast leapt ahead to grab her.

"I am alright Mike, please let's just get this over with," she said as she brushed off her boyfriend's attempts to comfort her.

Flash was all jittery.

"Why can't I just zoom around or let Doctor Doolittle talk to any animal friends?"

"It is better if we approach this stealthily. We do not want to alert Savage we are here," hissed an annoyed Green Lantern.

"Right you are," said a cold hoarse voice.

Before any of the heroes could react a violent jolt of electricity had surrounded all of them except Shayera. It was like a cage.

"Don'tworryIgotir!" Flash exclaimed and before anyone could protest he charged thru the barrier trying to vibrate thru.

"Flash wait-"

But it was too late. As if sensing his attempt to burst thru, the cage shot bolts of electricity right at the scarlet speedster before he could react shocking him.

Wally screamed in pain before he passed out.

"Wally!" Shayera cried from the other side and attempted to swing her mace at the cage. The first one caused it to ripple violently. It was going to take a few more hits.

But before she could swing again, four big men jumped on her. Shayera easily threw them off.

"Please," she said and was about to swing at the magical cage again.

"Stop," said Savage stepping into the open. He stepped into the light holding a gun.

Shayera laughed.

"Please, really? You can't beat me with that."

"You are right, but what about him?" Savage said as two of his men pulled B'wanna Beast into the open. The man was out cold.

"Mike!" Zatanna shouted inside the cage but no one on the outside heard her. Her cry was muffled out.

Savage grinned wickedly.

"Be a good little birdie and give me the anti-magic mace you got there and let my men tie you up, or Tarzan here gets a bullet in his head."

Shayera stared Savage down angrily. Did he not know her? She sold out the entire planet once. She was a ruthless soldier, she used to be able to make cold calculated decisions like that all the time.

_Used to._

As angry as it made her, she could not in good conscience allow one of her own comrades get killed in front of her.

Angrily she dropped her mace and put her hands up. Two men grabbed her and begin to wrap her to a tree with chains, making sure to pinch her wings and pull out a few feathers in the process. She did not flinch.

B'wanna Beast was tied up to a tree next to her as well. They used rope for him.

Savage grinned.

"You think after being around for over 25000 years I would not be prepared? I knew one of your mages would detect me when I began the ritual. I made sure to have all the proper defenses. I know that even the mighty Superman is powerless to magic, but I also knew all of you have one shared weakness, and that is compassion."

Shayera glared at him. The rest of the trapped league bowed their heads. Although they could not be heard by Savage, they were able to hear his taunts from the outside.

"It is so easy to plan traps for all you, so predictable. And no use to try to fight your way out, it is a Lovecraftian cage. Impossible to break free from the inside no matter how much force and magic you use."

Zatanna cursed herself with the rest of her comrades. He was right. The perfect prison. It would take someone outside of the cage to release them.

Savage gloated over his prisoners.

"You are all probably wondering if since when did I become so good in magic. Well the truth is I hate it. I always prefer to use my own intellect rather to rely on supernatural forces. But that does not mean I dabble into it over the millennia a few times for fun."

Savage then walked deeper in the woods.

"And now, you will see the magnum opus of my plans. Watch as I finally release the dragon!"

"Even you cannot be this insane!" Shayera shouted angrily. What kind of person actually releases a beast from hell?

"I am not insane, I am a visionary!" Savage laughed wickedly as he brought their attention to a glowing blue object in front of him. It was the shield lying down on the sword. On top of the shield balanced precariously was the grail. All three of the objects were glowing brilliantly.

Savage grin and looked up at the full moon above him.

"It's almost time," he said gleefully.

Shayera however attempted to break out of her chains. She was strong, but these things must have been made of a tough alloy.

She looked over angrily to see if Mike was awake and was surprised to find he was already and muttering incoherently.

"What are you doing?"

Mike looked at her and mouthed to her to be quiet.

Shayera look down and noticed he was talking to a squirrel below him.

"Seriously now?"

But Mike ignored her and before she knew it the squirrel took off into the woods.

"Like that helped," she muttered and resumed to try to break her way out of the chains.

Meanwhile in the cage Batman approached Zatanna.

"Zana, can you try to get us out?"

"I can't Bruce. I am sorry. I did not expect him to know the Lovecraftian cage. It's a very difficult spell said to be forgotten years ago."

"Yeah well apparently he was around when it was invented," muttered John angrily as he hopelessly tried to use his ring to break them out. But every time the green light of willpower made contact with the electricity it became distorted and faded away. He made a note to tell the guardians a new weakness to the ring's power he discovered, if he lived to tell about it.

J'onn did not even bother to try to phase out of it. If it did not allow Wally to vibrate thru it, it certainly was not going to let him try to get thru either.

"What if we dug our way out?" Superman whispered.

Zatanna shook her head. "It will do what it did to Wally. Face it, we loss," she said defeated.

"Well I am not giving up. There has to be a logical way to get out," Mister Terrific said pacing, trying to see if he could find a weakness.

But he did not get much time to think because at that moment Zatanna collapsed and began to moan.

Arrow and Dick rushed to her side.

"It's happening," she whispered.

The moon was directly above them right now. A blue light was glowing from Savage's chest.

"Gentlemen! It is time now!" he shouted as he pulled out the glowing eye from his chest pocket and laid it perfectly into the grail. It was too big to fit all the way in, but just enough that the grail could hold it steady.

A white beam shot from the moon right on the eye. The entire collection of the four ancient artifacts began to glow violet. And then silence fell. No one said anything and for a second it looked like the ritual had failed.

But Superman knew that last ditch hope was foolish. His super senses were already detecting the warning signs.

"The ground is shaking," he whispered.

And the rest of the league began to feel it too. It felt like an earthquake except it was more jarring. The Lovecraft cage zapped threateningly with these new jolts in the ground. Savage grinned and immediately grabbed the shield and the sword, ignoring the eye and the grail. Barely seconds after he had armed himself with the two relics, a fissure began to form on the ground where the artifacts lay moments ago. The fissure began to grow heading deeper into the woods as the crack widened. The eye and the grail were swallowed up by the expanding crack. The ground even shook more violently and many of Savage's men were knocked off their feet.

Shayera violently shook against her chains as the ground shook. Some of it had cut into her arms and she could feel blood drip. But she did not care. She was going to break out somehow.

Finally movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

B'wanna Beast was engulfed by a bunch of little rodents from squirrels to field mice. Despite the ground shaking and trees collapsing, the rodents continue to climb over him. It took her a second to realize they were gnawing his ropes.

After a few more seconds, B'wanna Beast broke free.

"Thanks little guys," he said hurriedly before he began to help Shayera get out of her chains.

"I guess talking to animals has its benefits after all."

"Where's your spike ball thingy?"

"You mean my mace? Duck."

B'wanna Beast did not hesitate and did, just missing the mace being swung at him by one of the guards who finally noticed they were escaping. The guard then tried to swing Shayera's mace at B'wanna Beast again but Shayera wrapped her legs around him and put him in a hold. B'wanna Beast popped up and continued to untie the chains. By the time he was done, the guard had passed out due to lack of oxygen from Shayera's hold.

Shayera stretched and grabbed the mace from the passed out guard and charged over to the cage.

"Hold on guys, I will bust you free in a seco-"

But before Shayera could finish her statement a final violent tremor shook, knocking her off her feet and then it stopped.

There was an uneasy silence. But it was soon broken by a loud roar.

"That does not sound good," Mike said getting up.

"No it does not," Shayera said as both turned around to see Savage about ten yards away from them. He was armed with the shield and sword, pointing it nervously at something black, something, big, something very much alive.

It looked like giant snake popping out of the ground. Very long, thick, and serpentine. It seemed a lot of its body was still buried in the ground and only its neck and head were popping up. From the neck and head it was about the length of a sky scraper when straightened out. Its hide was black as ash. Its face was bony, like a blackened skull to some ancient dinosaur or lizard. It had a long snout and glowing green teeth. Yellow gas was exiting its nostrils. Two long horns curved inward on its head while three smaller ones rested on its forehead. Its eyes were small and spherical but nonetheless glowed blood red.

It was the dragon.


	48. The Final Battle

Savage hesitated a little. He forgot how ugly that beast was but was only startled for a moment. It seemed a lot smaller than last time. A lot weaker.

"Hello, my ugly, scaly friend," Savage said stepping closer to the beast, sword pointed.

The dragon did something that the heroes trapped in the Lovecraftian cage did not expect. It laughed.

"Hello Vangar! I see you cut your hair last time we met!" Its voice seemed disembodied and collective. As if a thousand people were speaking the same thing at once.

"How does it know English?" asked Flash who had awoken just in time to see the beast outside the cage.

"It's not talking, it's magically communicating," Zatanna explained. She could tell the beast was full of power. Perhaps the most powerful living thing she ever encountered.

Savage chuckled and relaxed a little.

"Do you remember this?" he said waving the sword as it reflected the moonlight. The dragon hissed at it.

Savage took a step forward but then the dragon laughed again.

"You think after being trapped for thousands of years I would not anticipate you trying to coerce me as your pet?"

"Coerce is such an ugly word, I prefer convince," Savage said inching forward. He was almost there. One more step and he would be able to stab it.

"Well I am sorry but I am going to have to decline your offer…"

Savage lunged at the beast but just as he was about to strike it, he felt a searing pain in his shoulder.

Savage turned around to find a foul looking creature biting his shoulder. It looked like a miniature version of the dragon.

"Say hello to my children, all ten billion of them that I have hatched while I slumbered," the dragon exclaimed wickedly.

Smaller dragons popped up from the ground around Savage. Savage broke free from the one biting him and began to swing the sword, slaying as many as he could. But there were too many of him. More of them kept popping up. One popped up right next to him and bit his leg.

Savage yelped in pain and pulled away. The wound was already healing.

"This is foolish, I am immortal!" he shouted haughtily.

"Not without your head," the dragon whispered softly.

And for the first time, the league saw their old enemy, Vandal Savage, freeze with fear.

"Is that fear I see Vangar? Yes I know your weakness. One swift decapitation and you are dead."

Smaller heads were popping up surrounding the man.

"Dinner is served, my children," the dragon hissed softly.

All the heads charged at Savage and swarmed him. Savage managed to slay many, but it was useless. The League just stood back in horror as they saw their enemy overrun and disappear in the swarm of baby dragons. They heard him give one final scream. Within ten seconds the swarm dispersed where Savage once stood leaving behind the sword and shield which then vanished inexplicably as well.

"Shayera, get us the hell out of here!" shouted John.

Like everyone Shayera had become distracted by the appearance of the beast and totally forgot her purpose.

"Oh yea, hold on!"

Shayera began to swing madly at the cage causing it to zap and ripple with each swing.

"You better hurry hawk lady; I think those baby lizards are still hungry!" B'wanna Beast cried. He knew enough about animals magical or not to know what they looked like when they were hungry. Many of the smaller dragons were attacking Savage's men who had stood by in horror as they watched their master devoured.

"Almost there!" she cried. Some of the smaller heads had finally noticed the other people there. Some duck down and began to burrow towards them, forming little mounds. The little mounds heading toward them, an ominous sign to how much time they had.

"Hurry…"

"O for the love of God!" Shayera cried and took her heaviest swing just as the closest mound approached them. Immediately the cage had collapsed and Superman took off into the air and began to incinerate the smaller monsters as they popped out of the ground with his laser vision.

John placed a protective shield around the rest with his ring.

Superman kept the approaching monsters at bay with his laser vision. He did not dare try to attack the dragon first though. If that thing was loaded with magic, who knows what would happen if he got too close.

The dragon finally turned its attention to its offspring being destroyed by Superman. It opened its mouth and shot a green fire ball at Superman. At least you could call it a fireball. It hit Superman square in the chest. His friends heard him moan in pain and fall to the ground.

"Come my children, there is plenty more prey somewhere else!" the dragon hissed and burrowed itself in the ground. Its offspring followed as well. Silence fell.

Feeling that it was safe enough, John released the shield. Batman immediately ran to Superman.

"Come on Clark, don't you dare die on me!" Batman shouted as he began to feel his friends pulse.

Superman coughed and had come back to his senses.

"See you do care," he said laughing as he got to his feet slowly.

"Well we know one thing. That lizard can pack a punch," Flash muttered pessimistically.

Mister Terrific was looking something up on his miniature laptop.

"This is not good," he muttered.

"What is it?" asked John.

"It seems what Stein said was true about this serpent being wrapped around the world. Reports show that swarms of its offspring have appeared in at least twelve major cities across the world."

"Great, more pest control," Arrow said angrily.

"So what do we do now?" asked Flash antsy and hoping someone had a plan.

Zatanna spoke up.

"The Question said the dragon itself must be killed before sunrise?"

"Yeah."

"Well its offspring are magically dependent on it and if we kill the dragon before sunrise, its entire offspring will die with it."

"Wait are you saying we are going to have to ignore those other cities being attacked and just go after the dragon?" Arrow asked shocked.

The silence was all he needed.

"What happen to 'we go where we are needed?'" Arrow cried angrily, looking at Mister Terrific, expecting support from him.

"Arrow you must understand, we are spread thin-"

"We have been countless of times and we still went on missions! I can testify that myself!"

"Yes but we are not on the razor's edge like we are right now," Batman said calmly.

Nightwing nodded as well.

"They are right Oliver. We are going to need as much support as we can to take out that thing. If we split up to try to help every city, we will lose our advantage. Taking the big head out is the best way to help the rest of the world because we do not have much time."

Arrow glared at everyone but did not speak again. That signaled he was done arguing.

"Where is it Zatanna?"

Zatanna closed her eyes but the sounds of screaming and roaring far away was all they needed to know.

She opened her eyes, "It's hungry so it did not travel far. It's in Metropolis right now."

000000

Harvey Bullock was on the radio with his supervisor. He and his partner just saw a bunch of lizards popping out of the ground and attacking the city.

And he thought transferring to Metropolis would make his life easier.

Before he could call in for more back up, one of the smaller monsters had attacked his car.

He and his partner got out. Another one of the creatures had wrapped itself around his partner.

Harvey began to shoot at it but it was no use, they just bounced off and he watched in horror as two more creatures appeared and tore his own partner up.

Enraged he reloaded his pistol and began firing madly at all the little demons in his sight. This time aiming for the eyes. That seemed to hurt some of them.

"Got you, you ugly sonna-ahhh!"

He found himself being wrapped around by one of the monsters. It's breathe smelled like sewage. And to think, after all those years surviving in Gotham he was going to die like this.

But then something happened he did not expect to see. A shiny object flew thru the air and landed on the beast's back. It looked familiar. Before he knew it, a little explosion had occurred causing the creature to wail and loosen its hold.

Before Harvey could react he felt someone pulling him up and found himself on top of a roof.

"What the hell-Batman?"

But it was true. There he was, Batman, standing right in front of him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Call for back up and start evacuating the city!" Batman said, ignoring all pleasantries.

"Now just a minute, this is not you city, you do not make the rules-"

"Now Harvey!" Harvey never saw Batman raise his voice like that.

"But what about those monsters popping out of the ground like weeds?"

"Don't worry, my friends got it covered."

"Friends?" Since when did Batman have friends? But Bullock's question was answered when he turn around. Superman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Green Arrow, and many others from the Justice League were all fighting the serpents, going out of the way to distract them from the escaping civilians.

He turned around to find Batman was already gone. Typical.

"Bullock, where the hell are you?" he heard his radio buzz.

"I'm on the corner of 163rd. We are going to need some back up here to start evacuating people here!"

"Evacuate? From what?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

000000

Shayera was swiping at some of the offspring with her mace. It seemed to hurt a lot for the offspring probably because they were based on magic.

Her fiancé was on her other side, shooting blasts back and forth.

"Do we have a plan?" she shouted.

"Yeah, keep attacking the babies until big daddy shows up. Just keep fighting!"

"Don't need to tell me that twice!" she grinned. Unfortunately that temporary distraction had allowed one of the offspring to snatch the mace out of her hand and throw it far away into the middle of the chaos.

"Shayera!" John screamed and tried to fight his way through so he could put a shield for his fiancé.

Shayera however seemed unfazed. She dodged the offspring that took her mace and picked up a broken car door and crushed it.

"Four weeks of not being able to fight because the training room is broken and now I have no mace? Oh you so all are going to pay!"

And with a fury John never saw before Shayera dived into the middle of a big swarm and started tearing them apart with manhole covers, broken glass, rubble and who knows what else.

"Damn!" John shouted. He loved to see her angry, but at this level, he might have a heart attack right now. It was so beautiful to him to see that much passion and emotion in the woman he loved, even though a part of him felt that it was wrong that he was attracted to her when she was angry. When this was over, he was definitely going to make sure to never let her go again.

0000000

Dick and Barbara were fighting a couple of the offspring in the alleyway. They of course did not have super strength like their comrades but they were finding other ways of fighting the monsters. Dick discovered they were very vulnerable to punches in the eyes and the bottom of the jaw.

"How is it like being back in the field?" Dick shouted as he flipped over the snapping jaws of two hungry offspring.

"Like riding a bike!" Barbara joked back before jamming two shards of glass into the eyes of a rather large offspring. Not too far from them B'wanna Beast and Zatanna were fighting back to back.

"Can't you try talking to them?" she shouted as she shot a powerful blast at one that just snapped at her legs.

"I tried babe, but all they say is 'hungry, hungry, hungry!'"

"Reminds me of you!" she teased and managed to magically sew one of the hungry little dragon's mouth shut.

"Yo, when this over, do you want to get some pizza or something?" he asked as he managed to get a good uppercut on one of the monsters.

"I don't know, I am thinking some Chinese!"

00000000

Flash and J'onn were out further in the opening with a rather larger swarm. J'onn was easily taking them out one by one with his phasing ability and super strength.

Meanwhile Flash was zooming around just slow enough for the heads to almost catch him. After going around in circles a couple of times, Flash had managed to tie four heads into one big knot. Angrily the heads snarled and tried to pull away from each other while hissing and growling until finally they either tore or pulled each other apart.

"Aww that's a shame. They looked like a flower when they were tied up like that. Like a snap dragon!" he joked.

J'onn just glared at him.

"Get it, snapdragon?"

Not too far away Mister Terrific stood by himself. He just stood there and waited until he had attracted the attention to a couple heads. About six of them started to swarm and surround him.

"Come on, come on," he whispered to himself.

Just when the group of heads got close enough they all began to strike at him. At that moment however, Holt with surprising speed and agility did a backward handspring while dropping a sphere where he just was standing in the middle of the swarm. Immediately a small explosion occurred, disintegrating the heads that had all snapped at thin air.

"Whoa," Flash said stopping to see possibly one of the coolest moves he ever saw.

Holt looked at him.

"What, you think I spend all my time just staring at a computer screen?"

"Honestly, yeah."

Holt shook his head and jumped back into the fray.

0000000

Dinah used her canary call on a large group of serpents. All of them cowered at the noise. Meanwhile her ex shot an arrow into the middle of the cowering swarm which sprayed them with what looked like water.

Dinah glared at him.

"What did that accomplish?"

Green Arrow flashed a stupid grin and shot a flaming arrow into the swarm. Immediately the swarm was engulfed in flames.

"Gasoline may be harmful to the environment and the planet, but it does burn fast when needed," he joked.

Dinah just shook her head and continue to shriek at more monsters.

Arrow just sighed and began to shoot more special arrows at some of the heads approaching him. She was still mad at him that he could not even get her to laugh. Maybe he should try asking her out to dinner when this was over.

Probably wait until they showered and cleaned up of course. He smelled like a car right now.

0000000

Batman and Superman fought side by side together. Superman easily taking on the larger group with his Kryptonian powers while Batman unloaded every weapon he had on him. Luckily he brought more weapons than he usually did.

It was just like old times. He and Superman fighting side by side. All they needed was Diana and it would be the Trinity all over a-

No must not think about her right now. He needed to stay focus.

"Remember when we fought the parademons when Darkseid invaded?"

"Yeah," Batman replied before jamming a pole into the hungry jaw of a large offspring lunging at him.

"Well this is a lot like this, except they seem a little smarter than the parademons," Superman joked before punching three at once.

Batman smirked at the joke. That damned boy scout and his unrelenting good attitude even in the heat of battle.

"Where is the big head?"

Before Batman could chide Superman and tell him to have patience, the ground shook violently and the dragon head sprang up in front of him.

"My poor babies. They just want some food," the dragon mocked before opening its mouth.

Batman threw the biggest explosive battarang he had right into the open jaw of the monster. The dragon swallowed it and roared as it exploded.

Smoke leaked out of its nostril and mouth but it seemed otherwise unhurt by the attack.

"Still hungry," it joked before it opened its mouth. Before Superman could react, a force field had been released from the dragon. It not only sent Batman and Superman flying but the whole league as well. They flew three blocks across Metropolis before landing and rolling another two.

"Well that hurt," Flash said angrily as he got up and brush himself off.

The heroes looked up to see the dragon far away roaring. A constant force of what appeared to be magic was pouring out from the dragon at all sides, forming a ring of protection around it. Just beyond the ring, more offspring were popping up, forming an even thicker ring of protection around the dragon.

"Well so much for getting close," Arrow muttered darkly.

"Can you fight thru the force field Zatanna?" Mister Terrific asked hopefully.

Zatanna shook her head.

"It's too powerful for one spell. If any living thing tries to get close to it, they will be torn to shreds before they get halfway thru."

"And my ring is useless against it," muttered John angrily.

"It seems to be exposed on the top. Plus if we throw some projectiles at it like cars, maybe we will be able to hit-" but before Superman could finish his sentence, his super hearing picked up something. Someone was calling his name, a voice on the outskirts of Metropolis.

Without a word he took off, leaving the city he protected.

"What the he hell is he doing?" asked Batman as his friend took off, leaving them to face the monster.

0000000

He flew until he saw the person who called him. His fiancé, standing on the outskirts waving at him.

"Lois what is it?" he asked, not caring right now that he was jeopardizing his secret identity. He had made sure to get her out of the city before they had started fighting the dragon.

"They want to talk to you," she said and he looked up to notice a bunch of tanks, humvees, and artillery batteries all lined up with a few officers standing in front. He recognized one of them as General Flagg.

Superman flew up to them.

"You can't go in, its suicide."

"I beg to differ, Superman but that is not the point. I came to warn you."

"Warn me?"

"The U.S. government is aware that the root cause of this global disaster is here. We have been authorized to do any means necessary to kill it. Even if we have to settle for the nuclear option."

"You can't nuke Metropolis, that's insane!"

"We will have to if no other option seems viable. In the meantime, we are going to start pounding some heavy artillery on that thing in hopes of killing it before resorting to nukes."

Now he understood, they were giving him a timetable.

"How long do I have before you start shooting?"

"We will give you twenty more minutes to evacuate as many people as you can a good distance away from it before we start shooting the Howitzers. If that does not work, we will start moving in with these," Flagg beckoned to the heavily armored vehicles behind him. "In the meantime, if nothing seems to work, we will be launching the nuke before sunrise. That gives you about a few hours."

Superman was reluctant to give up like that, but if that thing was not destroyed by sunrise, it could be the end of the world. They would have to make do with what they can.

"Fine," he said before leaving to fly back into the action.

"Superman!" Lois cried before he flew.

Superman stopped as the woman he loved his whole life approach him. He could see she was trying hard not to cry. She might never see him again.

"Be careful," she said before locking her lips to his.

"I love you," he whispered, not caring he was blatantly flaunting PDA in front of a bunch of high ranking military officers.

"Go get 'em Smallville."

He flashed a grin and flew off ready to continue fighting the good fight.

0000000

"They can't be serious!" Batman shouted as he fought multiple offspring that had sprung up behind him.

"It may be the only option. The priority now is to evacuate as many people as we can away from it before they start dropping artillery!"

Batman, Superman, J'onn, and Green Lantern were providing cover and distracting the offspring as the rest escorted as many civilians as they could away from the carnage.

"They are right," John said blasting a couple heads. He understood the rationale behind General Flagg's plans. He was an ex-marine after all. "It might come to it if we cannot destroy this thing head on."

Batman glared. He wanted to fight tooth and nail to the end but that was hopeless. They knew they could not beat this thing.

0000000

Back on the Watchtower, a purple light had begun to glow in the Monitor womb before out stepped the rest of the League roster.

"I must say, that alternate universe's Watchtower is cooler than ours," Hawk replied wistfully looking around as the other heroes were chattering. They had just finished their mission of combating Morgain Le Fay and had returned to their own universe.

"That witch escaped me again!" cried Etrigan angrily shaking his fists in the air.

"Did you guys see when I totally destroyed her?" Booster Gold asked smugly.

"Only because you accidently tripped and destroyed that magical power source she had," replied Vixen.

Booster's face turned red.

"Hey y'all, where the heck is everybody else?" Vigilante asked, noticing the Monitor Womb was unmanned.

That brought silence on the group immediately. Every hero formed a 360 circle, armed, ready for action. There was always someone on Monitor Duty.

Dr. Fate was rubbing his helmet.

"I am sensing a disturbance in the magical field, surely you feel it as well Jason?"

Etrigan closed his eyes and concentrated before they shot open.

"Yeah, and it's not good."

"They are probably just in the cafeteria," Booster Gold said, trying to sound confident and hide his nervousness.

"Booster Gold to Mister Terrific, do you-"

"About time!" Holt shouted on the other end of his commlink, causing poor Booster's ear to bleed a little. "You all back from the mission with Morgain Le Fay?"

"Yeah it was cool. No one got seriously hurt or anything. I totally saved-"

"Brief me later; right now we have more important stuff to worry about!" Holt snapped, interrupting Booster's self-flattery. A few leaguers nearby who could hear Holt's side of the conversation snickered.

"How many do we have available?"

"You mean people? Everyone who went on the mission. I mean some of us I am sure are a little sore and need-"

"We don't have time!" shouted Holt startling Booster. Holt never raised his voice like that on the radio.

"What's going on?"

"Get Doctor Fate and Etrigan on as well," Holt snapped.

Booster beckoned to Doctor Fate and Etrigan to follow him and they exited the Monitor Womb into a hallway to talk to Holt privately in a hallway.

"Uh everybody just sit tight for a second," Booster said as the hallway door shut.

Before it shut, Booster thought he heard Sir Justin asking why there was a broken door in the middle of the Monitor Womb.

Booster took his commlink out and amplified the volume.

"Alright Mister Terrific, you got the doc and the demon on speaker with me as well."

"What is going on?" asked Doctor Fate. "We have sensed a disturbance in the magical fields.

"Long story short, we got a big magical dragon attacking Metropolis and the rest of the world with its offspring. Savage released it at midnight. From what intel suggested, if we do not destroy it by sunrise in Metropolis, we are going to be in a hell of a lot more trouble."

"Wait a minute, is this dragon black with glowing teeth?" asked Etrigan.

"Yeah and its offspring are vicious I tell you."

"It's the Jörmungandr," Etrigan said angrily.

"You mean the Midgard Serpent? I thought that was not supposed to be released until Ragnarok!"

"Well apparently Ragnarok is today," muttered Etrigan darkly.

"What the hell is going on?" Booster asked, confused between the dialogue exchange between the two.

"Never mind," muttered Doctor Fate with grim finality, "Mister Terrific, that thing is near impossible to kill and if it is not killed right away, we are all doomed."

"I am aware of that," Holt replied on the other line. "Look the point is we have done all we can. The U.S. Military is going to drop some firepower on it to kill it. In the meantime we need all available units elsewhere helping out the other areas of the world that are being attacked by its offspring."

"Don't you want more to help-"

"We need to go where we are needed. We have enough in Metropolis as needed. The rest of the world needs our help though. Booster, do you remember how to use the teleporter?"

"Please, in my sleep."

"Well I need you to teleport me up to the Watchtower so I can coordinate and send everyone to the right places."

"Alright, you got it Mister T," Booster joked before walking back into the Monitor Womb.

"Do you think they are going to be able to kill it?" Doctor Fate asked Etrigan. They both knew how much powerful that monster was.

Etrigan shrug. "I saw Batman kissing Wonder Woman the other day, anything's possible."

000000000

"Alright, you got it Mister T," Holt heard Booster say on the other line.

Holt groaned at the childish nickname and looked around him. The US Army would be dropping some heavy power fire soon.

At that moment the sound of what sounded like a bunch of people whistling, Holt looked up just in time to see the dragon in the distance buried by multiple explosions of firepower. They seemed to be doing a lot of damage. The dragon roared in pain. Almost every single howitzer had hit it.

"Gotcha!" Holt said satisfied as everyone cheered. Another volley would be coming soon. Maybe this was not as hopeless after all. But right now, he needed to be back up in the Watchtower; the League was needed elsewhere.

"Alright ready to go?" he heard Booster on the other line.

"Yeah," he was putting a lot of risk in trusting Booster but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"You got thirty seconds."

But right when Holt heard Booster say thirty seconds, something happened he did not expect. The dragon turned its head upward in the sky and began to roar and breathe a bright blue substance. The glowing blue reached about fifty yards above what was left of the city sky line before it began to arch in all directions. The dragon was still blowing that substance up in the air.

It did not take Holt long to realize what the dragon was doing. It was protecting itself while trapping them. Pretty soon the entire city of Metropolis was engulfed in a giant blue dome, cutting itself off from the outside world.

"Damn it," Holt swore. There was no way out now. The Justice League teleporter could not reach them. They were alone. He looked up into the sky just in time to see the second wave of artillery explode prematurely when they made contact with the shield.

So much for extra firepower.

000000

"Whoa hold on Holt, I am getting some interference. Holt?" Booster asked, but all he heard was static and then Holt's line went dead.

"Holt," he asked a little louder and more nervous which caused some loitering heroes nearby to look at him.

Immediately Booster turned on all the monitors. Various news reports around the world were broadcasting what appeared to be giant snakes attacking various cities worldwide.

But the one monitor on Metropolis caught his eye.

"What are those varmints?" asked Vigilante noticing the dragons on all the monitors.

Booster ignored him and turned up the volume on the Metropolis camera. A reporter was standing outside of Metropolis which was currently covered in a dome.

"_I am now hearing from the military confirming that our eyes are not deceiving us that Metropolis is now trapped in what appears to be a force field. Whether this has to be related to the monster attack that has struck this city as well as the rest of the world remains to be seen,"_ a nervous reporter explained.

Booster looked to his side at Doctor Fate.

"Can you reach them?"

"I am afraid it is too powerful for my magic. We just have to hope that Superman, Batman, and whoever is else in there will kill that thing. In the meantime I think we need to do what Mister Terrific said, worry about the rest of the world."

"Yeah problem is none of us can coordinate a plan like him," snarled Etrigan. "By the time we get in the javelins it will be too late."

Booster was sweating. All this time he wanted glory and now it was up to him. Etrigan was right, javelins would be too slow. The League needed someone who could use the teleporter. Someone who knew how to work the machine, at least sort of.

"I will do it!" Booster said turning around beginning to address the heroes.

Etrigan looked at him.

"No offense, but we are not that desperate yet."

Booster ignored him to address the rest of the League.

"Hey everybody! Uh- it looks like Superman, Batman, and the others are isolated right now battling the main dragon thing. We cannot reach them for the time being. In the meantime we are going have everyone else go around the world in teams and help combat the smaller dragons."

"Who is going to be running this?" someone in the back asked.

"Uh-"

"Booster Gold of course!" interrupted Skeets, Booster's robot sidekick.

Everyone laughed at that remark. Booster felt his face flush red.

"No seriously who is-"

"I am the only one who knows how to use the teleporter!" Booster shouted defending himself. "We do not have time to use the javelins or try to teach someone else. You all took an oath to help defend the world when needed; well now you got a choice. Listen to me or break that oath."

The whole Watchtower was silent. No one had expected Booster to defend himself like that. No one expected to sound like a leader.

Doctor Fate walked closer to the man.

"Where do you want me?"

Shining Knight and Vigilante stepped forward.

"Where do you want us?"

That seemed to have inspired the rest to quickly get in line. Pretty soon Booster had designated teams for every area being attacked by the monsters and had them all on the teleport pads ready for emergency teleport to their respected coordinates. Booster was hitting the switches nervously.

Who knew being in charge caused this much pressure.

Skeets meanwhile was excitedly buzzing around his master's head.

"Another victory for the glorious Booster Gold!" he cried. Booster did not seem too happy.

"I got to ask though, I thought you were suppose to learn how to teleport multiple people at once next week."

"I was," Booster said.

That caused Skeets to pause.

"Hope this works," Booster said nervously before hitting the switch.

0000000

"What the hell?" Green Arrow asked, looking up to notice they were now encased in a giant snow globe.

Dinah looked to and noticed that at that moment, a lone offspring had snuck close to them and was about to strike at Oliver.

"Ollie look out!" she shouted, pulling him out of the way just in the nick of time as she used her sonic voice to drive it away. Unfortunately she did not realize that another one had snuck by them as well and struck her.

Dinah's cry of pain caused Green Arrow to turn around. Immediately he pulled out two arrows and jabbed them into the monster's eyes. That caused it to let go and fall back. B'wanna Beast saw it and began to chase after it.

"Dinah!" Arrow shouted turning his attention to her. She was bleeding badly from the hip, her eyes were closed.

"No, please, don't go!" Arrow sobbed. Was this how Vic felt with Helena?

At that moment though Dinah opened her eyes and smiled, "Relax Ollie, I am still too mad at you to die yet."

That caused Oliver to grin and on impulse he kissed her. He had missed her so much.

Unfortunately Dinah broke away.

"I hate to stop you when you are in the mood Romeo, but I think I should get my wound checked before I bleed out."

That brought Arrow back to his senses, and he picked her up and began to take her to a big crowd of people they were evacuating before the dome appeared. J'onn was there with Flash and others, attending to medical wounds.

0000000

"Well so much for that strategy," John replied angrily as he, Batman, and Superman looked up at the sky at their current predicament. "Could this get any worse?"

John spoke too soon. Because at that moment the dragon began to laugh.

"It seems I have been injured. I guess I will have to wait until to sunrise before I move on and feast on more flesh. But in the meantime, I will enjoy watching all of you slaughtered!"

The dragon then lowered its head on the ground and opened its mouth. A portal seemed to be forming. Out of that portal stepped out one shadowy figure. Then two more. Then four. Then eight.

Within a minute, an entire army of armored figures were marching away from the dragon, past the magical shield, past its offspring towards the heroes and the other citizens in Metropolis trapped.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me," John cursed.

Batman tapped his commlink. They still could communicate with each other within the shield, just not outside.

"Zatanna, are you seeing this?"

"Yeah. It's using some ancient spell. Basically it's made its own army."

"What are they?"

"I do not really know. All I know is they are supposed to be like golems, really tough like stone."

"Terrific," Batman said sarcastically.

0000000

Diana sat quietly throughout the entire feast. As much as she tried, she could not take her mind off her friends. She hoped they were okay.

"Daughter is something wrong?" asked Hippolayta noticing her daughter had not touched her food yet.

"Fine. It's just everything is happening so fast."

"You worry about your friends don't you?"

"I pretty much left them to die."

"Well do not worry, from what I know they will die like warriors. You should be proud of them."

"While we flee from battle," Diana said angrily before storming off. She needed some fresh air.

Diana sighed and looked around the beach. She was tempted to cry but was too proud at the moment. She had been on an emotional rollercoaster in the past 24 hours. It was a miracle she was even still functioning.

"Diana," she heard a soft voice in the distance calling her.

Immediately she jerked her head up. Something about the voice seemed so distant and so, inhuman.

She heard the voice again. It seemed to be coming from the beach.

A part of her was nervous and did not want to investigate it. However another part of her was curious. Deciding she would be leaving for paradise forever and thus could have one more investigation to satisfy her curiosity, she began to head to the beach.

It did not take her long to figure out it was coming from where she landed her plane. Did someone sneak aboard?

Anticipating someone would jump out at her, she slowly opened the door. Nothing. She could still hear the voice though. It unnerved her very much.

But she was an Amazon and would not back away from fear. She entered her plane. To her surprise she found no one. After searching the entire plane, she heard the voice again. It was coming from the seat behind the pilot's seat. Inching forward, she looked over and found to her surprise, the two gifts she received from her gods sitting there.

How did they get there? She was sure she left them in her room in the Watchtower.

What was more unnerving though she noticed the glass vial was no longer clear and dusty like it once was. It was glowing blue.

She remembered what Apollo said when he gave it to her.

"_To help you look on those you care."_

Did he intend this all along? Did he know she would be at one point abandon her friends and need to look in on them to make sure they were okay?

Not sure she was doing it right she held up the glass close to her face.

"Show me my friends," she demanded.

In response, the blue light began to swirl madly. After a while it was like looking into crystal ball. It would show about ten seconds of the image before it changed to another one. And each one sickened her.

She saw Wally comforting a girl sobbing over her dead mother.

She saw Green Arrow looking over Dinah with the greatest concern and worry.

She saw poor Holt trying to rally some people to fight back.

She saw Shayera slowly being surrounded what looked like armed soldiers. She was running out of energy.

She saw Kal trying all his powers to hold back an advancing army even though she could tell he was slowly weakening.

She saw Vic still in the hospital kneeling at Helena's side.

She saw J'onn treating wounded civilians while John was doing his best to protect them.

She saw Zatanna and B'wanna Beast fighting side by side, kissing each other as if it would be their last kiss.

But the last image disturbed her the most. Nightwing, Batgirl (she though Barbara retired), and Batman fighting side by side while being hopelessly outnumbered. She could tell they were out of weapons because they were using what they could find to defend themselves.

Even after everything Bruce had did to her, she could not be mad at him. Seeing him like the others. So noble, so self-less. Fighting back even though no victory was in sight.

She immediately stopped looking at the glass and it resumed to showing a glowing blue light.

Grabbing her staff with her, she immediately head back to where her people were feasting.

She had stormed in so fast many Amazons for a second thought they were under attack and jumped with swords ready.

"Daughter what is it?"

"Mother! We need to fight!"

"Daughter we been through this the troubles of man mean-"

"We are Amazons! What are we doing? Fleeing like cowards!"

That seemed to have struck a chord. Many Amazons lowered their heads.

"My friends are out there dying and fighting and I am just sitting here?"

"Daughter. It is a hopeless fight-"

"Nothing is hopeless mother!"

No response. The entire Amazons just sat in stun silence as the princess continue to scold at them.

"Do you know what I learned that from? A man. A man mother! A man has more honor than the Amazons!"

"You watch your tongue Di-"

"I have fought side by side with this man and my friends since I have ventured into Man's World. He has no superpowers or gifts. All he has is determination that a warrior could dream of. He is a mere mortal who I have seen taken down monsters, gods, and everything you could think of all in the name of protecting people. He puts his life out every day and he never once asks for a thank you!"

"Diana-"

"No you listen to me mother! This man is a true warrior as my friends are! I think I understand why the gods gave me these gifts. They did not give them to me to help me in my mission, but remind me what is more important!"

She tossed the crystal glass to her mother.

"You can use it right now. It will show how that man along with countless other heroes continue to fight for the greater good while we sit here like cowering rodents!"

All the Amazons were looking at their queen now.

For what seemed like an eternity no one dared to say anything. Finally Hippolayta spoke up.

"Daughter you have to understand; even if we decided to help we would not be able to save them in time. Even your plane cannot take you there that fast."

Diana's posture relaxed as she bowed her head. Her mother was right. They were out of time. No, there had to be a way. As if answering her, she noticed the staff Hera gave her. Immediately she realized the Ancient Greek writing on it had changed. It was no longer in gibberish. In fact it had unscrambled.

When did that happen?

Diana easily read the inscription which in English roughly translated to:

_When the beast is released and the sky turns black,_

_Just whisper open and struck the staff in the ground._

_A doorway will open, a gateway,_

_That will allow you to quickly reach the great serpent._

What Hera had told her when she gave her the gift rang thru her memory.

"_To help you lead those you care into battle."_

Did they plan this as well? Did they know she would be far away from the disaster when it happened?

Now she finally understood. The gods did not want her to investigate and stop the threat. It was a test. Not just a test for humanity but for herself. They gave her the tools to aid her in her test. But what of Aphrodite's gift? What did her heart have to do with this crisis?

Maybe Aphrodite meant that her own love and loyalty to her friends would help her get back on the right track.

Diana shook her head though, bringing her attention back to reality. There would be time to reflect on Aphrodite's gift later. Right now, she needed to save the world.

She descended among the group of her Amazon sisters. They all spread out to give her space. None daring to get in her way.

"Daughter, what are you-"

Diana raised the staff above her head and cried 'open' in Ancient Greek before striking it into the ground.

A flash of lightning struck, startling the observing Amazons and even causing Diana to take a few steps back. Immediately the ground began to ripple, forming a ring around the staff. The ripple began to change colors until it was black and swirling.

It was a portal.

Diana turned around to face her kin.

"Now that we have a way of getting there, who's with me?" she asked. She was taking charge now.

000000

"Knew we should have brought the batmobile," Dick lamented while dodging a swing from one of the shadow soldiers.

"We would have more fire power right now," he continued.

Barbara meanwhile was taking on three at the same time. She was using a tire plate as a means of protection. She then turned to realize that Batman had been pushed a little further from the group.

She then noticed he was slowly being surrounded.

"Bruce!" she cried and tried to reach to get close to him but she was blocked by more incoming shadow soldiers.

Dick saw his mentor being slowly over run. No, this could not be happening. If only he could vault over. But like Barbara his way was blocked too.

In all his life he never expected to go down like this. Sure he knew he would go down fighting if he did not get too old first, but never like this. Surrounded, alone, beaten.

He was knocked on his back by one and saw that one of his foes was raising a sword, preparing to strike. After all this time, to go down like this.

Across the field Superman was hopelessly trying to protect the civilians and wounded with Holt, Zatanna and B'wanna Beast but it was no use. There was too many of them.

"I wish we had some extra reinforcement right now," muttered Holt darkly.

"We are just going to have to make do with what we got," shot back Superman. His powers were dwindling so he had stopped using his laser vision.

Right when he said that though a battle cry was heard. All the heroes turn around to find behind them a charging group of women armed with shields and swords.

They were Amazons, all battle ready.

Before they could react, the army of Amazons had passed them and engaged the shadow soldiers. Slowly the forces were pushing back, allowing some breathing room for Superman and Holt.

Superman smiled, he knew who was behind this. He knew she would come back. He did not expect she would bring her entire family though. He was also surprised to see her mother in there as well. But then again, her mother was the queen of the Amazons.

"You were saying about needing some reinforcement?" Superman asked with a grin.

00000

Batman with his eyes closed awaited his inevitable doom. But then he heard a faint cry and heard someone shout "Bruce!"

He knew that voice, but never thought he would hear it again. Was he already dead? It could not be her.

He opened his eyes to see Diana, clad in Amazonian armor jump down and slice all the soldiers surrounding him with her sword. It must have been real sharp to be able to cut thru them like that.

"Diana?" he asked confused getting up.

"Duck ," she replied. He did not ask and did what he was told.

Diana jammed her sword into another shadow soldier's face, disabling it immediately.

"So what is the plan?" she asked taking on more approaching soldiers.

"You came back?"

"Are we just making up as we are going along or do you have some contingency plan.

"After everything you came back?"

"Right now I think we should worry about what is happening in front of us right now Bruce!" she shouted.

She had a point. Batman immediately began to fight back. Pretty soon Clark had linked up with them. There they were, the Trinity. Leading the battle. Side by side. Until the bitter end.

The group was slowly approaching the circle of offspring the dragon had before its magical shield. Seeing this, the dragon laughed.

"The sun will rise soon; I guess I am going to have to keep you back."

The dragon immediately breathed another powerful magic blast sending not only the Trinity back a couple dozen blocks along the ruins of Metropolis, but knocking over nearly every hero and shadow soldier as well.

"Well so much for that," muttered Superman sarcastically.

"How did you get here?" Batman asked.

"My staff from Hera allowed the Amazons and me to be transported here. Glad we did not miss the whole fight."

"I am glad you came back," Batman let slip. Idiot, you spent all that effort pushing her away.

Diana heard him. What the gods was up with that man? Maybe he banged his head too much in this fight.

0000000

Mister Terrific meanwhile was getting up from the ground. He was sore and he was sure his wrist was broken and that his femur was shattered. He ignored the pain.

"I…will…never…quit…" he muttered through pained breaths.

As if sensing his stubbornness, a soft whistle happened beside him. Holt turned to see that shield and sword had magically materialized next to him.

It was not just any sword or shield.

It was the sword and shield Savage had used to release the dragon.

They had at first tried to find it before heading over to Metropolis. Savage seemed to think it could hurt the dragon; it would be worth to look at. Unfortunately it seemed to have disappeared. Now in the darkest hour there they were, right next to him.

What was more intriguing, he noticed that the markings on the shield and the sword had changed. They were no longer gibberish in Ancient Greek and Old German. They spelled out the same thing in their respective languages.

_Two heroes shall save you._

_One in body, one in spirit._

_These two heroes shall save your world._

Two heroes? What did that mean? Was it referring to the artifacts? Would the shield and sword be the key to destroying the dragon? Savage seemed to think so. But still he did not like to do things without being sure. He needed to consult someone else. Someone who had researched on this topic more than anyone else. The problem was, that someone was still up in the Watchtower and they had no means of communicating.

J'onn could not communicate telepathically beyond the force field surrounding the city nor could he phase through it.

And their commlinks could not contact the Watchtower.

At least while they were inside the shield…

Ignoring the pain in his wrist, he touched his commlink.

"J'onn, I am injured. Possibly broken leg and wrist, can you send someone to get me?"

"I am coming myself hold on."

"Is Flash with you?"

"Yes."

"Tell him to stay there. I need to talk to him."

00000

The Trinity had fallen back and resumed to fighting the stone-like soldiers with the rest of the Amazons. There seem to be no end to them.

"Superman."

"Yes J'onn?" Superman asked. He was communicating telepathically with J'onn.

"Fall back to where I am with Diana and Batman. We have something important to talk about."

Superman did not question J'onn's demand.

"Guys we need to head back!"

"Never retreat!" called back Diana.

"J'onn says he has a plan! Do not worry; your Amazons will keep them at bay while he talks to us."

With reluctance Diana stopped fighting and flew away.

"At least she does not seem as angry with you as she is with me right now," Superman joked before lifting Batman and flying in the air.

"Shut up," Batman muttered angrily.

0000000

"So you think the sword and shield can help us kill this thing?" Dick asked. The rest of the League was surrounding Holt who was now on a stretcher as J'onn treated his leg.

"Yes. Problem is I do not know how. I am positive the Question does but…"

"He is stuck on the Watchtower," Green Arrow said finishing his sentence.

"I have a plan though," Holt explained.

"How?" asked Shayera. "I have no clue where my mace is so I can't bust us out before sunrise."

Holt shifted his eyes to Flash.

"That is where he comes in."

"No," shot Batman.

Flash looked at Batman angrily.

"Why not?"

"You got shock trying to escape the Lovecraft cage. If you try to vibrate through that, it could kill you."

"That was because I did not expect it to attack me before I vibrated through it. Had I known that I would have vibrated earlier."

"Still it is risky."

"You got a better plan?"

No one disputed that.

Flash looked at Holt.

"What do I have to do?"

"Get to the other side and contact the Watchtower. I do not care how but you got to get the Question on the other line. Tell him what the sword and shield say and ask if they would allow us to kill the dragon."

"Got it," Wally replied before looking at his comrades.

They were all giving him worried looks.

"Good luck kid," Shayera said patting him on his shoulder.

Wally grinned sheepishly and sped off. Here goes nothing.

"And now we wait," Holt said stoically.

00000000

It turned out vibrating through the shield was not as hard as he thought it was going to be. In fact it tickled a little. It did try to stop him like the Lovecraftain cage, but he was prepared. He dodged it and before he knew it, he was on the other side with fresh air.

The sky was starting to light up. Sunrise would be happening within the hour. Not much time.

"Freeze!" he heard someone say.

He finally realized that military and police vehicles were surrounding the dome. A rather portly detective was pointing a gun at him.

Wally grinned sheepishly and sped off. He did not have time to answer questions. When he was a good safe distance away he stopped and activated his commlink.

"Flash, to Watchtower, is anyone there?"

He heard someone yelp in excitement.

"Booster Gold here, how are things going in Metropolis?"

Since when did they let Booster monitor the teleporters and communications?

"Uh not good. Look is the Question still up there?"

"What? I thought he was with you!"

"No Huntress got hurt. He should be in the med bay with all the staff."

"Wait the staff is still here?"

"Look that is not important right now! We do not have much time and we need him! I don't care how you do it; just get him to the Monitor Womb to talk to me!"

"Alright geesh, calm down."

00000

Booster had hurried over. He was doing pretty well at coordinating the other league members in helping combating the global threat he did not want to leave the monitor womb too long. What Flash said was true. Not only was the staff in the med bay, but Vic was there as well. He was kneeling beside his wife's bed.

Booster ignored the questions that the civilian staff tried to ask him and marched straight to the Question.

"Hey bud, uh the dragon apparently has been released and we could use your help."

Vic ignored him. Booster was not sure if he heard him. He tried saying the same thing but louder. Still no response.

"O come on man, the world is ending and you are not going to help?"

Finally the Question turned around. Even though he still had the faceless mask on, Booster could tell he was angry.

"Leave," he whispered angrily.

Normally Booster would walk away but not this time. No one was going to push him around anymore.

"Look bud I am sorry your wife is hurt, but frankly that is not the priority right now."

"It is to me."

"Even it is, do you think sitting here is going to make her heal any better?"

"She is here because I got too worked up on the case!"

"Well why don't you redeem yourself right now? The whole fate of the world is in your hands right now."

The Question did not respond to that remark.

"How do you think she would feel right now if you had a chance to save the world but ignored it because you wanted to just sit here and feel sorry for yourself?"

He was not holding back any punches. Flash said get him to the Monitor Womb, well he was going to get him there.

Vic sighed and looked to his unconscious wife. The man behind him was right. Helena may have not wanted to work with the League, but she definitely would not have wanted him to give up and not help.

He kissed her on the forehead and turned to one of the doctors and asked him to let him know if she woke up. Not waiting for Booster Gold the Question exited the med bay and made his way to the Monitor Womb.

"Alright who thinks that was one of the most epic talks ever given?" Booster Gold asked the civilian staff who had just witnessed the whole conversation unfold.

0000000

Flash bounced back and forth impatiently. What was taking them so long?

Finally he heard buzzing.

"Alright Flash I got Q here."

Flash immediately spat out everything Holt told him to say. He had to do it twice because the first time he said it so fast.

"Well?" he asked, not giving Question enough time to think of a response.

"Hold on," muttered the Question.

He was flipping through the book about the dragon he got in Bavaria. He had not had enough time to go through the whole thing. Finally he had stumbled across a short story. It was titled "Two Heroes".

With his speed reading skills Q quickly scan over the text. It told how two heroes could slay the dragon. The two artifacts would present themselves to anyone who showed the will to not back down and continue to fight the dragon. The shield would protect one from the dragon's magic while the sword could harm it. The story said one jab to the neck with the sword would physically kill it.

"According to the book, it says the sword can harm it and the shield can protect you from its magic defenses."

"But how do we kill it?"

"If you just jab it in the neck it should do it…"

"But why would Savage want to try to stab it and kill it then if he wanted to control its power?"

"Who knows? Maybe he thought he could tame it."

"Well thanks for the help Q but gotta go, bye!"

"Wait I am not done with the story yet!"

But it was too late, the signal was dead. Flash was back inside the force field.

"What was that all about?" asked a confused Booster Gold.

The Question ignored him. Something was not right. He originally thought the two heroes meant the two objects but that did not make sense. The story made a point to say two heroes. Vic quickly continued to read where he left off after it talked about how the sword would kill the dragon physically.

_Physically._

Oh no.

Vic slammed the book down.

"Oh my God. Get Flash back on!"

"I can't he's back inside the magical snow globe. Why?"

"They are about to make a big mistake!"


	49. Bruce

**WARNING: Major Character Death! Maybe even two or three more as well. And Angry lil' elf, if I get one more review from you that is not different than "pretty good so far more please" I will stop updating! Jk, hope you enjoy.**

Flash zoomed toward his comrades who were waiting for him. Upon seeing his return, many showed signs of relief on their faces.

He was about to speak but decided to take a second to calm down so he would not talk so fast this time and have to repeat himself.

"Question says the sword and shield can kill it. Apparently its part of a short story in a book about the dragon he has."

"Wait a minute, he had a book on the dragon all this time?" asked Green Arrow. "Knowing that could have been more helpful."

"I was not aware of it either but the bottom line is the dragon right now. How did the story say to kill it?" asked Mister Terrific.

"Well it went on about two heroes that were presented the two artifacts as an award for their refusal to give up while fighting the dragon. The shield protects people from its magical blasts while the sword can kill it!" Flash said excitedly.

"How does the sword kill it?"

"Vic said a stab in the neck shall do it."

Holt leaned back with grim satisfaction. It seemed too easy. And what was with the line about body and soul and why did the story say two heroes?

"Did he why it required two heroes?" Holt asked hoping to get an answer.

"Nope. Maybe they figured it would be good to have two go at the same time in case one died."

That was a logical explanation but it was too simple. Not satisfied, Holt decided to ask one more question.

"Why would Savage try to kill it then with the sword if he wanted its power?"

"Who knows? The point is sunrise is in thirty minutes, we need to act now Holt!"

Flash never talked back to anyone like that.

Mister Terrific sighed. He did not like what information he had but if that was all Vic could have known they would have to make do. They were running out of time.

Slowly Mister Terrific looked at Superman and Wonder Woman.

"It will be one of you."

"What?" asked Batman angrily.

"I am sorry Bruce but they are the two most powerful heavy hitters we have. They have a better chance of getting close enough."

"I can't," Superman raise a hand in protest. "That thing knows I am vulnerable to magic."

There was a slight pause. That only left one option.

"I will do it," Diana said with finality.

"I am going with-"

"No offense Batman, but that shield is not big enough to cover two people. We would be better off with me fighting through by myself. Besides I am more experienced in fighting with a sword and shield than you are."

Batman still glared.

"Even if that shield would get you through its magical field, you have to first pass through that ring of offspring it has around it for protection. How do you plan on that?"

She glared at him. She was not going to let him win this argument.

"My people will cover-"

"They are in the middle of fighting the shadow soldiers right now. If you take them away from that, we will get over run here."

"Why do you have to be so stubborn when you are not doing everything?"

"It is my job to make sure things are done right Princess!" he shot back.

Holt rolled his eyes. The world was ending and those two were fighting again.

Zatanna sighed. They were so made for each other.

Luckily, salvation came in the unlikely form of B'wanna Beast.

"Me and Zee gotcha covered," he said proudly. "We will distract the heads!"

"Mike my magic is not strong-"

"I gotta plan babe trust me."

Zatanna looked at him unsure but relented.

Holt looked around. "Any objections?"

When no one protested, Holt decided to continue.

"But even if we get pass the offspring, we will need someone to distract its attention as Diana fights thru the magical defenses it has around it-"

"I got it!" Superman said. "That thing has developed a fondness for striking me with its fire balls."

Batman walked next to Superman.

"I am coming with you-"

"No you are not-"

"You are vulnerable to magic. You are going to need someone to drag you out if you get in trouble!" he said, cutting off Clark.

However he did not want to go just to protect his friend. He wanted to do all he could to make sure she would be able to get close enough. Safe and unharmed.

"Well it's settled then. All of you will head with Diana, Clark, and Bruce on the outer edges of the offspring ring," he said beckoning to Dick, Barbara, John, Shayera, and Oliver. Dinah was injured and J'onn and Wally were helping take care of casualties.

"Wait until Zatanna and B'wanna Beast start their diversion. John, Oliver, and Shayera will aid as well. In the meantime, Diana, Bruce, and Clark will work their way through to the outer rim of the shield it has around itself. Clark and Bruce will draw its attention while Diana you work your way over. We have only one shot though so time is everything."

Diana nodded.

"Well what are you all waiting for? Get going!" shouted Holt.

Immediately the heroes dispersed. The Amazons had driven the shadow soldiers far away from their path so it was pretty much unimpeded.

Mike however started rushing into another direction.

"Where are we going?" Zatanna asked chasing after her boyfriend.

"To get some outside help!" he said. Zatanna found herself having to magically transport herself to keep up with him. He was surprisingly fast.

"Mike we can't get any more help. All the Amazons in Thermyscara are here and no one else can get in or out other than Wally!"

"Well I guess you can call it inside help then!" Mike shouted as he stopped at their intended destination. The Metropolis City Zoo, which despite majority of the city being destroyed was still relatively unharmed. Zatanna could hear many animals roaring, howling, and crying in fear.

"Not now," she said shaking her head. There was no way this would work.

0000000

The eight heroes stood not too far from the outer ring of the offspring. No one willing to make the first move. Their journey to it was relatively unimpeded other than occasional stray offspring popping up or a random shadow soldier appearing out of nowhere. Halfway there Diana had caught a glimpse of her mother leading a charge. For a brief second her mother turned her and head and made eye contact. It was short and fleeting, but Diana knew her mother understood now. She was a warrior and might be dying in her last stand against the monster.

The dragon noticed them in the distance just standing there not daring to move. It flashed another grin at them. It knew sunrise was coming quickly. It had won. Or so it thought.

Superman picked up some approaching sounds. Was he seriously hearing an elephant right now?

From their right side a whole stampede of animals were rushing toward them. There were gazelles and wildebeests bucking on through. Wild cats from lions to cheetahs were speeding by snarling. Apes and monkeys, beating their chests, as they rushed along the streets. And in the center of the animal horde were the elephants, with B'wanna Beast and Zatanna sitting on the biggest one. The Metropolis zoo had been unleashed.

B'wanna Beast began to beat his chest like the apes and gave out a Tarzan roar just as Zatanna aimed a powerful spell at a large group of offspring. The animals all jumped into the fray attacking. The big cats were clawing and biting multiple heads at once. The apes were pummeling multiple offspring simultaneously. The bigger animals like the rhinos and elephants making much use of their size and crushing multiple little dragons.

"It looks like we bought a zoo," Green Arrow joked before jumping into the fray. John and Shayera did the same, holding hands. Dick and Barbara were the last to jump in. They took one last look at their mentor before they left.

"Well there's the opening," Superman said.

The oncoming onslaught had forced a little pathway among the horde of serpents. It was like a parting of a black sea.

Diana moved to charge but found herself stop by Batman.

"What?" she asked angrily and impatiently.

"Let us go first. We will draw its attention away from the opening."

Why did he always have to be right?

"Fine," she said "But hurry up, sunrise is soon."

Batman closed the gap between them. He was tempted to just hold her right there one more time and show her how much she meant to him. But they had a mission to do. They needed to be staying focused.

"Diana…" he whispered.

Diana's heart fluttered. Why was it doing that? She knew exactly he was not going to say what her heart wanted. After everything he still could move her like that though.

"I uh-be careful," he said gently.

Diana smiled, "We will talk later you stubborn jerk."

That startled him for half a second, but only half a second. He turned back around to face Superman.

"Are you ready?" Clark asked.

"Let's go," Batman replied.

Clark picked up Batman and immediately took off with him. Speeding through the narrow pathway their friends had made for them. Superman kept speeding forward until it seemed inevitable they would burst through the magical shield but then he veered upward, over the dragon.

The dragon roared and attempted to fire multiple magical blasts that phased through its own protective shield but Clark was too quick. Pretty soon its back was turned toward the pathway as it tried to take out the World's Finest.

Meanwhile Diana began to charge through. She had the shield in front of her, the sword ready.

As she approached the magical protection she closed her eyes. Here goes nothing.

000000

"You have to get me down there!" shouted Vic after he had been pacing like a madman in the Monitor Womb for ten minutes.

"I told you Question I am sorry I can't, there is too much interference to teleport you there!" Booster shouted back as a monitor screen showed Captain Atom and Vixen aiding the National Guard of Nevada repel multiple offspring attacking Las Vegas.

"I do not understand why you need to get down there-"

"They are walking into a trap!"

"You have been saying that for the past ten minutes. What is going on?"

Finally Vic had stopped moving erratically and paused to catch his breath before shoving the book into Booster's face.

"There is a reason why the story specifically states two heroes. One hero is needed to kill the dragon's physical form, the second one to kill its spirit!"

"What?"

"The sword does not harm the dragon. Rather it has an enchantment on it. By stabbing the dragon with the sword, it destroys its physical form. However its spirit will possess whoever slays it. The second hero is supposed to pick up the sword again and slay the first hero. By killing the first hero the dragon will be defeated because its spirit is bonded to the first hero!"

"But won't the dragon be weaker if its spirit becomes bonded to a weaker living being?" Booster asked trying to keep up with the man's ramblings.

"Yes and no. It will still possess all its destructive power and be invulnerable when sunrise happens. That is why Savage tried to slay it with the sword. He was hoping he would be able to harness the dragon's power when its spirit became bonded to his body!"

"That seems stupid. Why did Savage think he could control it?"

"The man was arrogant and thought himself as a god among men. He believed he could do anything! But the dragon has one weakness though. It can be destroyed for good if someone kills the body its spirit is bonded with."

Booster was finally catching on.

"And if they send someone powerful like Superman or Wonder Woman to stab when it is in its physical form…"

"It's gonna be harder to kill it before sunrise! We need to warn them before they make that mistake!"

"Wait, are you sure about this?"

"It makes sense! I have never been surer than on anything before! That is why two heroes are needed. One to kill the dragon's body while sacrificing his own body so that his fellow hero can destroy the dragon!"

"Yeah but we are screwed then because there is no way we can contact them and I doubt they are going to send Flash back out before sunrise."

"There is always a way," said Vic ominously.

All of a sudden he grabbed a hold of the control panels for the teleporters and began to crank up the power.

"What are you doing?" cried Booster noticing the danger alerts on the screen for using excessive power.

"The teleporter will not work because not enough power is being used to override the interference," said Vic calmly before stepping on the platform which was shaking slightly.

Booster just stood mouth agape.

"You are insane, with that amount of power; you will be electrocuted or burned if you don't explode before you get teleported!" Booster shouted and made to shut off the power before it was too late.

"No!" shouted Vic. That caused Booster to pause.

"It's the only way. I am willing to put my life at risk. No one else is going to get hurt because of my failures, no more!"

"This is not your fault-" Booster pleaded desperately. There was only about ten seconds left.

"If Helena wakes up, tell her I am sorry. For everything," Vic replied sadly.

A violent flash of blue light was shown. The pads began to buzz like crazy. Glass was shattering as the control panel began to steam.

A loud whistle began whirling as the danger sign blinked rapidly.

Even with his goggles on Booster still had to shield his eyes from the blinding light. He could make out Vic's squirming form and thought he heard him scream.

The light then shrunk into a tiny ball, before it exploded, knocking Booster off his feet onto the other side of the Monitor Womb.

Booster cough as the steam and smoke began to clear. He saw a dazed Skeets sputtering next to him.

"Did we win sir?"

Booster looked to see the completely destroyed teleporter control panel and pads. Even some of the monitors had cracked. A few were still working though.

"I do not know, but one thing's for sure. We are going to have to take the long way back to earth for a while," he joked as he got to his feet and moved over to the monitors to see if he could turn on the back up communicators.

00000000

Mister Terrific sat on a stretcher with his hands folded, watching the ongoing battle far away from him in the city ruins.

J'onn came up next to him.

"I sense you are troubled my friend."

Mister Terrific sighed. He always respected J'onn and saw him sort of as a mentor. He could trust the Martian.

"I don't think we are doing the right thing."

"Do you think they will not succeed?"

"It's not that. Something does not seem right. I always make my decisions when I am so sure I have no reasonable doubt. This time though, I am not as confident. I wish we had more time to plan."

"You did all you could with the time you had, I am pretty sure it will all work-"

BOOM!

A minor explosion had occurred right behind J'onn and Holt sending them flying forward. J'onn quickly sprang on his feet and turned around, ready to face any threat.

Holt meanwhile despite getting blown off the stretcher managed to roll back over to see what caused the sudden explosion.

Wally had zoomed by next to John as well.

"What the hell is that?"

A mysterious figure was standing there. They could not make it out at first because of the dust. When it finally settled, they found themselves looking at a faceless man covered in burn marks with his hair standing up as if he had been zapped by electricity.

"Vic?" asked Holt recognizing his friend. How the hell did he get in here?

"The extra buttons on a collar shirt are used to send subliminal messages to buy more clothes!" Vic whispered erratically before passing out forward onto the ground.

Wally and J'onn immediately rush to him.

"He's alive. I don't know how, but he's alive!" J'onn said checking a pulse.

"How the hell did he get down here like this?"

"Must have teleported here under full power in order to get inside here. He's probably busted the Watchtower teleporter. I am surprised he's still alive. The odds of surviving are about a million to one."

"Well I guess he should start playing the lottery," Wally remarked sarcastically.

"The real question is why he just risked his life to come down here. Read his mind J'onn," Mister Terrific commanded. It was not a request.

J'onn hesitated and looked at him.

"You know how I said earlier his mind is in a fragile state with his wife's-"

"J'onn he nearly got himself killed to get down here! It probably was to warn us about something! I am sure he would not care if you read his mind while he was unconscious."

J'onn nodded and his eyes begin to glow yellow.

For a minute J'onn just sat over the detective scanning his mind. When he had finished, his eyes immediately widened in shock.

"What is it?" Wally asked.

Deciding it would be faster to relay it to them telepathically; J'onn told them everything he had got from the Question.

"J'onn," Mister Terrific said urgently, "Can you contact Diana?"

J'onn shook his head.

"She is in the force field, the magic blocks it."

"Then get Batman and Superman."

00000000

The shield did allow Diana to pummel through the shield but that did not mean her journey through it was easy. It was like slowly walking against a hurricane wind. It required a lot of her strength to push through the magical force trying to push her back. Even though the shield deflected most of the force away from her, some of it still managed to occasionally scrape her skin. If she was not a meta, her arms and legs might have been reduced to bone.

She was almost there.

She could see Kal and Bruce flying on the other side diverting the dragon's attention. Superman was carrying Batman who was throwing Mister Terrific spherical explosives at the barrier.

They were not doing any damage to the shield but they were diverting the monster's attention from her.

Almost there.

She finally was free and had passed through the other side of the shield. There was still about a fifty yard radius between the inner ring of the force field and the dragon.

Diana began to charge.

Unfortunately unbeknownst to her, an offspring had popped up and was following her. The little dragon head lunged at her when she was about halfway there.

Unlike Savage though, Diana had better instincts and quickly rolled to her side.

The offspring missed and dug its teeth into the ground.

Diana took the opportunity to slice its head.

Unfortunately, the sound caught the dragon's attention.

Immediately the dragon noticed the sword and roared.

It blew a powerful blast at Diana. She held up the shield and deflected it.

Two offspring emerged behind her and she dodged them with a roll.

The dragon then moved to strike at her and she dodged it.

Quickly the dragon located her again and shot another blast at her.

000000

Batman and Superman watched in horror as the dragon had noticed Diana sneaking up on it. She was so close.

They watched helplessly as their friend continued to dodge the beast and its offspring.

She was putting up a good fight. She was also making good use of the shield and the sword.

Batman knew her well. She was a warrior. It would only be a manner of time before she would beat it.

She would not fail. She could not fail.

"_Batman, Superman!"_ J'onn's voice was heard in both their heads.

"_Not now!"_ Batman shouted in his head.

"_THIS IS IMPORTANT!"_ J'onn sudden increase in telepathic communication had almost caused Batman to pass out and Superman to drop him.

"_What is it?"_ Superman asked in his head. J'onn had connected all three of their minds so they could communicate with him over long distance.

"_You need to stop Diana from killing that dragon!"_

"_Why? She is winning!"_ cried Superman.

"_The Question just teleported himself down here to warn us!"_

"_That is impossible!"_ Batman refuted. He designed it himself.

"_He used full power to get in. It nearly killed him. He risked his life to tell us more about the dragon and the sword!"_

"_What is it?"_ asked Batman as he saw Wonder Woman head butt an offspring that tried to attack her.

"_There is a reason why the sword and shield talked about two heroes and body and soul. One needs two heroes to slay the dragon!"_

"_I don't understand,"_ Clark thought confused.

"_The person who stabs the dragon in the sword only kills it physically. Due to the sword's magic, the dragon's spirit possesses the person that slays it."_

Both heroes paused. They knew how dangerous it would be if that thing was in possession of Diana's body.

"_But does that weaken it?"_ asked Superman.

"_Not really. What happens is the person being possessed by the dragon's spirit still retains all its powers and control over its offspring. In fact even if the dragon's spirit is possessing someone's body, regardless of who it is, it will be invulnerable by sunrise. That is why Savage wanted to kill it. He thought he could control the beast when it possessed him. This is why a second hero is needed, to kill the person-"_

"_Who is possessed by the dragon,"_ Batman finished grimly.

"_Yes. That is correct."_

"_What happens when the second hero kills the hero possessed by the dragon?"_ asked Superman. He had a bad feeling where this was going.

"_By slaying the hero possessed by the dragon with the sword, they will defeat it once and for all. Before sunrise, the dragon's body becomes bound to the person it possesses. If that person is killed, then the dragon goes with it."_

Batman sighed. There was only one way this could end now. For a brief moment he thought that maybe there would be a happy ending but he should have known better. There was no happy endings for the Batman. He was always going to go down in flames.

"_How much time until sunrise?"_

"_Seven minutes. You must stop Diana from stabbing the dragon's body with the sword. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to kill it before sunrise."_

"_Understood."_

"_You also understand what you must do?"_

"_I do,"_ Batman said with cold finality. The human part of him felt grief, despair, and outrage. But the Bat in him quashed it down. He needed to do what needed to be done.

"_Good-bye Batman. It was an honor to fight with you."_

Batman could have sworn he sensed J'onn crying even though they were communicating telepathically.

"_Farewell J'onn,"_ he responded.

Batman looked up to see Superman looking at him with a shocked look on his face.

"You can't-"

"I have to Clark! It's the only way!"

"No there has to be something else we can do! There has to be another plan you have!" Superman said in clear denial. "I won't let you try to kill yourself again!"

Batman did not glare at Superman but instead his face softened. He looked at his best friend with sadness and gave him a pleading look.

"Please, Clark."

Batman saw Clark sigh. There was a tear streaming out one of his eyes.

"I am sorry Bruce."

"Don't be. I need you to do one more thing."

Superman was going to ask but he already knew the answer. Batman needed Superman to kill him.

"I can't-"

"You have to Clark, please!" Batman cried. Now he finally understood what the mysterious stranger said about sacrifice. It was not that he was pretty much going to have to give up his life, it was that he had to ask his own friend to kill him. This was different than trying to crash the Watchtower kamikaze style. When he tried to do that, he was not asking anyone to kill him.

But this time, he was pretty much asking his own trusted friend to kill him. That was the real sacrifice. And Superman understood that as well.

"You always have to be the hero," Superman said cracking a half smile through the tears.

Batman smiled back at his friend. A sad smile.

"Right back at you."

Superman then looked back at Diana fighting the dragon.

"Oh no!"

"What?"

Batman turned around to see Diana had tricked the dragon into attacking its own barrier protecting itself. That seemed to put the foul beast through a lot of pain before it collapsed after it made contact with it. It was still alive, but it was weakened. Just laying there, waiting to be killed.

"We have to get her attention!" Batman shouted but instead Superman did something he did not expect. They started charging toward the shield.

"Clark what are you doing?"

"Like you said we do not have enough time! Besides my body will protect you!"

"But you're vulnerable to magic!"

"Yeah, it's like you always said though. It is good to know the full extent of your weaknesses!" Clark shouted back before he plowed through the magical barrier.

Batman immediately could tell that Superman was slowing down but his friend still kept going.

Superman was flying at the right angle that most of his body was taking the hit from the magical defense. Batman could hear him moan in pain. It was costing Clark all his will power to fight through it.

Batman was sure he could see some of Superman flesh tearing. Come on Clark, he was almost on the other side.

00000000

Diana got back to her feet and saw that her plan had worked. The dragon was temporarily disabled.

It laid on the ground moaning pitifully.

Diana walked up to it with the sword in her hand. She was going to look right into the beast's soulless eyes when she killed it.

The dragon began to laugh as she approached.

"It is hopeless. The sun is about to rise!"

"Plenty of time for me to send you back to the pits of Tartarus!" Diana shouted back and raised her sword to deliver the killing blow.

Diana saw the beast grin at her. Why was it doing that? Was it grinning at the face of death or was there something else amiss?

She did not have time to dwell though. The dragon was right, the sun was about to rise. She swung the sword ready to strike, just as she heard a faint whistling sound.

"!"

Dian was tackled by a blur of red and blue just as the sword was inches from the beast's neck.

The sword had hovered mid air on its own for only a fraction of a second before a black gloved hand had grasped it, and finished the job Diana started.

The beast roared in pain and turn to find that its slayer was not the mighty warrior Amazon, but the simple mortal man dressed in black.

"NNNNNOOOOOOO!" the monster roared as it began to shake wildly. Its body began to disintegrate. Soon all that was left was its head which instead of turning to ash, turned into a black cloud of smoke which immediately was pulled toward the Dark Knight. The black smoke enveloped Batman just as the magical barrier went down. The dragon's offspring began to all roar in pain before passing out. Meanwhile the shadow soldiers suddenly stood stiff as well, confusing the Amazons.

Superman got up, his vision blurry and he was sure he lost hearing in one year. He looked and noticed he was bloody everywhere. It was a miracle he had managed to get Bruce safely through. He looked up to see that Bruce was standing there squirming.

Immediately Superman, despite on the verge of collapsing, ran up to his friend.

"Bruce!" he shouted. "Come on fight it! I know you can!"

"I can't hold back Clark! Hurry before it takes control!"

Clark hesitated and noticed the sword lying on the ground not far from Batman.

"Clark please!" begged a thrashing Batman.

Superman nodded. "I am sorry Bruce!" he said and made to reach for the sword. Unfortunately he found Batman's hand had gripped his. And it was a lot stronger than Batman's usual grip.

"No!" Superman shouted turning to see Batman's body grinning at him. The white lenses in his cowl gone and replaced by glowing red eyes.

"You should have killed him when you had the chance!"

And before Superman could react, he was blasted far away. He was unconscious before he landed.

Meanwhile the offspring had seemed to have reawakened and resumed their war with the Justice League and wild animals. The shadow soldiers as well became animated again and continued to engage the Amazons.

Batman's body looked in the distance. The first rays of sunshine were peaking over the hills. The hour was almost here. Even though it was in an inferior defenseless mortal body, it would not matter. In a few minutes it would be invulnerable and unstoppable.

"Bruce!" a female voice called not too far away.

Wonder Woman had only been knocked out a little by Superman's tackle. She only regained conscious just in time to see Batman's eyes flash red and toss Superman like a bean bag.

"He can't hear you now Amazon!" the voice of the dragon laughed in Batman's body.

A magical blast fired at Diana. She immediately picked up the shield and deflected it. Still there was enough force from it to knock her off her feet.

"It's hopeless, can't you see you have loss?" the dragon' voice gloated.

Diana refused to give up and got back to her feet.

"It does not matter. It is foolish. I am the Omega. I am the beginning of the end! I am-"

Batman's body had begun to squirm and shake violently.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" the dragon voice's cried.

Diana immediately began to head over.

"Come on Bruce fight it!"

"AARHEGHFOEHRHSHRHRHH!" Batman's body roared. All of a sudden Batman's arms went 90 degrees to his sides. His head shot back and his mouth hung open, still roaring.

Powerful magic began to pour all out of Batman's body in multiple directions pushing everything back. Diana once again placed up the shield. She expected to get knocked on her feet again but it did not happened.

She looked up and could tell not as much magic was pushing in her direction. Batman was fighting back, giving her a chance.

Diana began to march forward with the shield in front slowly. Even though not as much magic was being forced at her as the other directions, she still was meeting a lot of resistance.

Summoning all her will power and strength she got within arms length from Batman. No longer did she felt the force of magic pushing her away from him.

"BRUCE I AM HERE! CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

"Diana," she heard Bruce's voice faintly despite his mouth not moving.

"It's alright keep fighting it. I know you, you never give up!"

"Diana I can't hold back much longer-"

"Don't you dare say that! Don't you dare give up on me!" she cried back.

"Diana the sun is about to rise. You need to kill me!"

Diana paused at that statement. No it could not end like this. It was not supposed to be like this.

"Diana hurry! Please!" she heard Bruce's voice again, more urgent this time.

Diana noticed the sword at Batman's feet and managed to summon the strength to pick it up.

"Kill me with the sword and the thing goes with me!" Bruce's voice instructed.

Diana hesitated. After everything that had happened in the last month, she could not do it. Despite the damage Bruce had done to her heart she could not kill him. He deserved better.

"I can't."

"Diana you must!"

Diana sighed. She always thought a sacrifice meant dying in battle but now she understood what it really was. She was going to have to give up something she would not give up easily. She was going to have to kill the man she had cared so deeply about.

And at that moment she finally understood why the fates seemed to make sure to keep them apart. By being distant, it allowed her to stay focus. It allowed the Amazon in her to make the hard decision. If she was still with Bruce, she was not sure if she could even make the right decision.

She knew what she must do, no matter how painful it was to her heart.

She drew the sword back.

"Hera forgive me," she said through tears.

And with all her will power and might she jammed the ancient sword right into Batman's gut just as the sun began to peak over the hill.

"AAGRHJGHAHGAHAGHAGHAGH!" the dragons' voice roared. Batman's body began to float in the air a few yards above the ground. It thrashed violently in air as the screaming continued.

In the distance all the offspring began to scream in pain. Their black heads began to disintegrate to dust right before the heroes' eyes. Even the thousands of carcasses of the ones already slain began to turn to ash as well. The shadow soldiers began to crumble like gravel before the Amazons' eyes.

"What's happening?" asked an alarmed Green Arrow.

"They did it," muttered Mister Terrific who had just limped up to the group, using the Flash as support. Dinah and J'onn had joined them as well.

The morning sun light began to pour over the remains of the city. Pretty soon it reached the unconscious body of Superman. Within seconds, his wounds began to heal and his eyes opened.

Diana watched in horror as Batman's body began twisting horribly in mid air. Finally she heard a faint scream and saw black smoke began to emerge from his body.

The smoke hovered over Batman before it exploded, blasting Diana away as well as knocking all the onlookers in the vicinity off their feet.

Diana looked up to see collapsed rubble just seconds where Batman had hovered over.

"No!" she shouted and flew over there.

She began to claw through the rubble as fast as she could.

In a few minutes the rest of the League caught up with her. All of them just stood there and watch Diana madly claw through the rubble with her bare hands.

"He is still alive! I know he is!"

Shayera bowed her head. This was déjà vu all over again. Except this time there would be no happy ending.

J'onn walked up to Diana.

"Diana he is still alive but-"

"Where is he?" Diana asked ignoring the warning he was going to give.

J'onn pointed to a certain area and Diana dived there with Superman who despite being incredibly weakened was also helping her dig their friend out.

Within seconds, Diana and Superman had reemerged dragging with them the barely moving body of Batman. His cowl was gone and his body was beaten, torn, covered in blood.

"We got to get him to a hospital!" Diana shouted. "Teleport us to the Watchtower!"

"We can't!" Holt said grimly. "The teleporter's broken!"

"Don't just stand there! You are all going to let him die like this?"

But at that moment a comforting hand had grabbed her wrist startling her. She looked behind her to see Batman, despite being bloodied, broken, and breathing his last breathes, holding onto her.

"D-Di-"

"It's alright Bruce, I am here," she said softly and began to cradle him in her arms.

"We are going to save you, hold on."

"It's…it's too late," he said while coughing up blood.

"No do not say that. Come on, you are too stubborn to die," she said through tears.

"Dick….Dick…" she heard him cry for his adopted son.

"He's alright, he's right here," she said while frantically gesturing Nightwing to come closer.

Dick immediately ran forward with Barbara at his side.

"Hey old man," Dick joked while trying to fight back the tears. He already lost his parents once. Now he was going to lose his father all over again.

"Gotham…take care of her…take care of Tim…for me…"

Dick knelt and clasped his adopted father's hands. He finally let a few tears stream down.

"I will dad, I will."

That earned a smile from Bruce before he continued to cough more blood. It was a miracle he was still conscious despite how pale he looked.

Bruce then looked at the rest of the heroes watching him.

"You all…will do…fine," he said with sincerity. Leave it to Bruce to not compliment his fellow peers until he was dying.

Dinah was next to Oliver, her arm wrapped around him crying. She would have asked for his handkerchief but he was using it. Flash was not even trying to hide back his tears. J'onn and Mister Terrific bowed their heads.

"Zana…" Bruce then cried.

Zatanna stopped sobbing in Mike's shoulder so she could fully look at him.

"Thank you…for everything…" he choked out sadly.

Batman then turned to Shayera who was crying. Shayera Hol, the mighty Hawkgirl, was crying. John was comforting her. He was a marine and had actually seen his own friend killed in combat. There would be time to cry later, not now. His fiancé needed him to be a rock.

"Shayera…I trust…you at least," he said cracking a little smile.

Shayera smiled back through her tears.

Lastly Bruce turned his attention to the two heroes by his side.

"Tell Lois…I…I'm sorry...I won't be making…the wedding…" he apologized.

"It's alright," Superman said as he smiled at his closest friend.

"Good…luck…" Bruce whispered.

Lastly he turned to the woman he had tried to keep out of his life. She was still holding him, trying to comfort him in his last seconds.

"Diana…"

"I am right here Bruce."

"I am sorry…so sorry…"

"Shh. Don't say that, you are going to make it. You have laughed in the face of death multiple times," she denied.

"At least I got to see your beautiful face, one… last…time," Bruce said as he placed a gloved hand on the face looking over him to touch her cheek. It was not cold but surprisingly warm and comforting.

Bruce's breath then rattled and his eyes rolled back and his body stopped moving.

"No! Bruce? No!" Diana cried, still holding on to him tightly. She did not care if her own Amazons and mother were nearby watching her sob over the body of a man. She did not care that she was crying and cradling his body in front of her friends. All she cared about was the man in her arms.

She would give anything to have him back. She could not let him go. Not now. Even after everything that happened. And at that moment she opened her heart up. He needed to hear it.

"I love you," she whispered before more tears began to fall onto his lifeless body.

But it was too late. He did not hear her. He was already gone.

The rest of the League just stood there and watched the scene before them. No one dared to say anything. The Amazons that had gathered there as well to watch their champion cry over a man, had bowed their heads in respect. Even if he was a man, he was nonetheless a warrior.

And even further away observing the scene in the distance, stood a man in a blue fedora and coat.

In a few seconds a green figured appeared at his side.

"I would expect you to be gloating right now," the Spectre muttered bitterly.

Phantom Stranger did not respond but continued to stare straight ahead at the scene before him.

"You got lucky," the Spectre continued when the Stranger did not reply. "God always has a soft spot for humanity. The whole thing was tilted in their favor."

Still the Phantom Stranger said nothing.

"Well, aren't you going to say that this proves your point on humanity?" the Spectre replied angrily that Phantom Stranger appeared to be ignoring him.

The Phantom Stranger watched as the man died in the Amazon's arms.

"They made their sacrifices, now they reap their rewards," Phantom Stranger said coldly as the two figures watched the Amazon declare her unrequited love for the dead man.


	50. Moving On

His eyes were closed but he could tell it was bright outside. The man opened his eyes to find the sky was completely white and glowing.

The man looked at himself to realize he was dressed in white as well.

The man stood up to find he was in a city. A deserted city.

"Hello?" the man called, hearing his voice echo. No answer.

A part of the man felt nervous but nonetheless his curiosity won over and he proceeded to walk down a street. The street signs were blank and all the banners on the buildings and shops were blank as well leaving the man no clue where he was. It gave him a feeling of apprehension.

There was no traffic either. The city was a ghost town. Yet it seemed so familiar.

He finally reached what looked like a movie theater and saw an alleyway not too far away. Sensing something about it was familiar he began to walk down the alleyway. The hairs on his back began to stick straight up even though he did not know why.

There was something wrong about that place but there was nothing there.

He was about to turn around when a flash of light caught his eye.

On the ground was a string of pearls.

_Pearls_.

When he touched them, a slew of memories hit him.

The mugging. The years abroad. Donning the mantle. The tragedy in the circus. The man with two faces. The failed engagement. The Man of Steel. The League. The Joker and Tim.

It all had come back at to him. He remembered everything.

But why was he here?

"Hello Master Bruce," he heard a voice behind him. A voice he thought he would never hear again.

Bruce turned around to see an elderly English man also dressed in white standing in the alleyway entrance.

"Alfred?" asked Bruce unsure slowly moving toward the older man.

"Yes it is me, son," the man said beaming with a smile.

Bruce did not even ponder if it was a trick or an illusion. He knew right then and there that it was Alfred.

Immediately he ran up and embraced his surrogate father.

"I am so sorry," he whispered. "I am sorry for everything."

"There is nothing to be sorry about Bruce."

"Yes there is. I drove you away."

"And I should not have let you. We were both too stubborn to apologize."

Tears were streaming down his face. How he longed to apologize to the man who he drove away despite the unconditional love and support he gave to him.

But then something seemed wrong. Suspiciously, Bruce broke the embrace.

"Why are you here?"

Alfred sighed and placed a hand on Bruce's shoulder.

"I think the better question is why you are hear my son."

And another slew of memories hit him.

The date auction. The kiss. The mysterious man in blue. Savage and his men. The dragon. The sword. The shield. Diana clutching him in her arms…

"I'm dead too," he said with resignation.

"Yes I am afraid you are. Come, let us go inside," Alfred said beckoning to the theater. "We need to go over some things before you go."

"Go where?"

"On," Alfred said cryptically and headed toward the theater. Bruce followed him. Before he knew it they were sitting in a theater in the middle of the seats.

"What are we doing here?"

Alfred said nothing and pointed to the screen. It did not take Bruce long before he figured it out. They were watching his whole life on the screen. He often heard people say that would happen before they died. He never believed it though.

"Alfred where are we exactly?" Bruce asked looking around.

Alfred ignored him and Bruce continued to watch the movie. It was currently showing him his childhood. He had almost forgotten most of those memories with his parents. Finally the inevitable came. The night in crime alley.

For some reason even though he seen it replay a thousand times in his nightmares he could not watch it. Not this time. He turned his head away.

"What is wrong Bruce?" Alfred asked.

"Nothing," he lied.

"Let me ask you something, do you remember what your mother's favorite color was?"

Silence.

"What about your father's favorite snack?"

More silence.

"Do you remember what your father and mother gave you for your seventh birthd-"

"What is the point of this?" Bruce cried angrily.

"You were so consumed with their death that you forgot everything else about them. They would be proud of what you have done for Gotham and the world but do you think they would like what it has cost you? Do you think they would like you to forsake your family?"

"It was for the best!"

"And yet you took Dick, Tim, and Barbara in. You loved Tim and Dick like sons. And you had Zatanna who has been like a sister to you. Always taking care of you when you would not do it!"

Bruce just bowed his head in shame. What Alfred said was true. But it was too late.

"Do not feel sorry for yourself Bruce. You ended up doing the right thing. You were able to let Tim back into your life along with Dick and Barbara."

"But they hated me."

"That is not true they loved you and you know it."

The screen kept showing more memories from Bruce's life. Finally it stopped on the fateful day in Metropolis when everyone thought Superman died.

"Why are you showing me this?"

He then saw himself watching the funeral procession from the rooftop alone.

"You were too stubborn and proud to admit you had friends, even when Master Kent died."

"But he didn't!" Bruce tried to say in his defense.

"But you thought he did and you refused to show your grief. I remembered that day how you locked yourself in the mansion and did not even have the decency to show your face or accept the help of your other friends when they tried to reach out!"

"Alright I am a jerk, I admit it! Are you happy? But that is why I did not have friends! I drove them away!"

"Not true," Alfred replied. "As Ms. Hol taught you, you still have friends despite your faults. You always acted like you were the loneliest man when in reality you probably had the best friends you could have ever wished for. Why did you feel so much guilt and grief when you asked Master Kent to kill you? Why were you willing to put so much trust in him for such a difficult task if you did not consider him as a friend?"

More silence. Finally the images began to show what he feared the most. The memories of Andrea, Talia and Selina all taunted him. It ended with the last kiss between him and Selina before she left Gotham for good.

The screen went white.

"Is that it?" Bruce asked.

"Should there be more?"

His pride in him wanted to say no but his heart said yes.

"It does not matter. I broke her heart."

"Yes you did. She taught you that you could love still and yet you pushed her away."

"It was for the best."

"But do you love her?"

Silence. "It does not matter."

"Yes it does Bruce. Do you love her?"

Bruce sighed. "Yes I do love her." Figures he would admit it only when he died.

Alfred smiled. "Very good Bruce."

"Why are you showing me this?" Bruce asked. He was tired of having to be shown his mistakes over and over again. It was tortuous. He already had enough self-hate when he was alive. Shouldn't in death he be allowed to rest in peace?

"It was to advise you."

"Advise me for what?"

Alfred sighed. "You should consider yourself very lucky. Not many people are given a second chance like you are."

"Second chance? What are you talking about? I am dead!"

"Yes you are but not for long."

Bruce's temper rose.

"Well I don't want it!"

"I am sorry but you do not have a say in it!"

"Well you stop it then!"

"I can't either; this is the doing of the people you left behind!"

Bruce's anger increased tenfold.

"What are they doing?" he hissed angrily. "They know I have made it clear I do not want to be resurrected by magical means! Why can't they let me go in peace?"

Alfred's serenity contrasted Bruce's rising anger and he placed a comforting hand on Bruce's shoulder.

"They are not doing it on purpose. They respected your wishes. You should consider yourself lucky that fate has given you a second chance!"

Bruce's anger calmed a little, just a little. Alfred was not done.

"If you get anything from this Bruce try to change your life. Live the life your parents wanted you to have. Respect them for that. You do not have to give up being Batman; just promise me you will try to be happy."

Bruce sighed. As much as he wanted to be angry that he was not going to die, he could not be angry anymore. Everything Alfred had showed him made him feel one feeling.

_Regret._

And now he was given a chance to fix his mistakes. Even his pride could not make him angry that long.

"I promise Alfred, I just do not think I can."

Alfred smiled and embraced his son.

"You can Bruce I believe in you. You have taken down criminals, gods, and monsters with your bare hands and you think you can't be happy?"

Bruce smirked at that joke. He suddenly found he and Alfred were back out in the empty streets of Gotham. Everything slowly seemed to be fading away.

"Ah it's almost time for you to head back Bruce, farewell. We will see each other in another life."

"Where are you going?" asked Bruce as Alfred began to walk away.

"I am moving on Bruce. I can finally move on now knowing that I have finally convinced you to try to find happiness in your life. I will say hello to your parents for you."

Before Bruce could say anything a blinding white light appeared. Before he knew it he was gone.

0000000

"I love you," she whispered before more tears began to fall onto his lifeless body. She continued to sob over the body while clutching it tightly. Many people who were watching just bowed their heads sadly as they heard her cries.

But none of them noticed that the tears that had fallen on the body had begun to glow after she had said those three words. As more tears fell, they began to glow brighter. Finally Superman noticed.

The light kept glowing. Diana seemed to not see through her own tears and kept crying. She also seemed to not notice that a glowing light was shining on the left side of her chest.

Superman wanted to say something but he could not. He just stood frozen with awe.

Finally a faint whistling sound had got her attention. She looked upon the body still crying but now noticed that it was glowing where her tears were fallen. Everyone else had noticed as well and were just watching the scene before them without saying a word.

A gust of wind had come from nowhere and Bruce's body was lifted in the air slowly out of Diana's arms. Her heart had stopped glowing but no one noticed. Diana just stood amazed at the scene before her. The mysterious wind was still blowing her hair as her wet sapphire blue eyes just stared wide open in shock.

Bruce's body just hung in the air. A brilliant light began to shine wear he was wounded. It kept glowing until it blinded everyone within fifty feet.

And as soon as it came the light went away and Bruce's body slowly lowered to the ground.

As soon as the mysterious wind died down, Bruce's body began to move. Everyone heard a moan.

Before anyone could say anything, Bruce got up to his feet slowly and turned around so everyone could see him.

He looked a lot younger and healthier than anyone had seen him before. No longer did he have bags under his eyes and his skin did not seem as gaunt. But the most noticeable thing was his wounds were gone as well as the blood; he was healed.

Superman got up and approached him slowly.

"Bruce?"

Bruce finally seemed to realize Superman was next to him.

"What?" he said trying to sound like nothing happened.

Shayera ran up and punched him in the shoulder.

"You are such an ass," she cried happily through tears.

Everyone in the League ran up to him to embrace him. After everything that happened, there would finally be a happy ending. Superman was almost crushing a clearly uncomfortable Bruce in a bear hug. But everyone could tell Bruce was happy to be back even if he did not show it.

The only Leaguer who was not taking part in the celebrations was Diana. She had hung back. She still had not gotten over the shock that he lived.

She was currently looking at her hands that were shaking.

Finally her mother came up to her and led her away.

Both Diana and Hippolayta had understood what just happened. Aphrodite's gift was Diana's own love would save the life of the one person she loved with all her heart. She had fully opened her heart to him.

_To save those you care for._

But it came at a heavy price.

Zatanna watched Diana and Hippolayta walk away to be reunited with their people. She knew why they were not taking part of the celebration with the rest of the heroes. She knew what magic had happened and what the cost was.

They said love was the most powerful force in the world and maybe it was. But it was the most destructive force as well.

Diana's love had saved Bruce, but it had sacrificed her immortality as well.

00000000

"This is your doing!" the Spectre shouted angrily at Phantom Stranger as they saw Batman's resurrection after Diana opened her full heart to him.

"What?" the Phantom Stranger asked feigning innocence.

"You broke the rules! You interfered! You told the Olympian of Love to give the Amazon that gift!"

"Maybe…"

"You are a fool! You probably would have been freed because humanity has passed its test but instead, you just squandered it all away by interfering! And for what? Why would you do that?"

Phantom Stranger turned around and began to walk away. He knew the consequences of his action but he did not care.

"I was manipulating their lives and telling they needed to make the sacrifices. Well I felt that sometimes, people need to be rewarded for their efforts. Sometimes their efforts prove they deserve a second chance. Isn't that what Christ said? Did he not teach that people would be rewarded for their own sacrifices?"

"It's funny you bring up the Son of God when it was you who scourged Him at the pillar which is the reason you wear those bracelets on your hands!" the Spectre scoffed as the Phantom Stranger continued to walk away.

"You probably blew your last chance of finally being free," the Spectre angrily called out to the imprisoned man.

"Well I think it was worth it," the Phantom Stranger said before fading away.


	51. The Wedding

**Once again I do not own anything. I also do not own the song here. I would strongly recommend you find the Elvis Presley rendition of "Always On My Mind" and listen to it while you read this chapter.**

_6 Months Later _

Diana looked at herself in the mirror. She had her hair done nice for the wedding. She was glad that finally people were able to settle down and be with those they love, except her.

Since that fateful day where she had forsaken her own immortality for Bruce, she had not really talked to him. A new gang had emerged in Gotham and he was distracted by that. Plus she went back home with her people after that day so she could spend some time to reflect.

She expected her mother to judge her and scold her for giving up such a beautiful gift because of a man. But instead her mother did not. Her mother decided she would not question on what her daughter did. Her mother understood that Diana just needed to be there as her mother. And so she was.

For a month she stayed at Thermyscara. However she felt she needed to head back to the League and help them rebuild the world after that near disaster so she left her island home. For the past few months she and the rest of the League were busy helping the world heal from the many disasters and deaths that the dragon had caused. Metropolis of course was taking the most time. But they had the full support of Superman. The city would be restored to its glory in no time.

Due to the fact she was busy with the League, she had no real time to interact with anyone other than Kal and Shayera.

Sure she would still go to the weekly founder's meeting and occasionally Batman would make an appearance, but she would never really talk unless it was something relevant to the topics of the meeting.

She was planning to return to Thermyscara for good and spend the remaining years she had left on her island home. The world had plenty of wonderful heroes that could fill in the gap. When she left, the world would miss her, but they would move on.

Just like she would.

The only reason she had not gone back home yet was she promised to be Lois's maid of honor and she intended to uphold that bargain. She knew Bruce was still going to be best man but she was not going to worry about it. She just wanted to move on with her life and go home. She had enough. She wanted to live the rest of her life in peace.

She had only told Kal and Shayera that Aphrodite's gift had cost her immortality. Everyone else assumed that Bruce had been resurrected because Aphrodite gave Diana the gift without a price as a reward for her success in the mission.

She was surprised that no one had confronted her about what she had said to Bruce. But she was glad everyone was respecting her right to privacy.

Even Zatanna did not seem to butt in. She was afraid the witch would try to talk her and Bruce getting back together but it seemed Zatanna had finally moved on as well. Kal and Shayera both tried to convince her to at least tell Bruce what she had given up and what she had said when he died, but she made them promise not to tell. As her closest friends they respected her enough and kept their words.

"I must say Diana you look marvelous in black!" Mari complimented. She was with Beatriz and Tora as well. All the bridesmaids were going to wear black dresses for the wedding.

Diana put on a smile. "Thanks Mari."

Mari turned around to see the Maid of Honor walk in.

"And here comes the lovely maid of honor herself!" she joked.

Helena blushed at that remark. The bruises and cuts on her face had healed revealing her beautiful face. She had woken up out of the coma not too long after they had killed the dragon. She woke up to find her husband was at her side as well. He was in a hospital bed too for a while after breaking the teleporters.

After everything that happened, their relationship had improved. Sure it came with much heartache and pain, including the loss of their unborn child. But they seemed to have rekindled the love they had for each other. She and Vic were now attempting to try to have a child.

"I don't know, I think Diana has us all beat," Helena retorted.

Diana was asked by Dinah to be one of her bridesmaids as well. Diana got the impression Dinah asked her because Dinah wanted to help her heal in the aftermath of the dragon crisis.

"Come on girls, we got to get out there soon!" cried Beatriz, opening the door.

Diana sighed. She was really happy that Dinah and Ollie got back together and were getting married. She was happy for everyone. A part of her just wished that her life would have had a happy ending like them.

000000

"Come on John we are going to be late!"

"We would have left an hour ago if you did not spend two hours in the shower!" John replied angrily to Shayera.

The two were rushing to get dress in their apartment which was a mess.

"Bullshit!" Shayera cried.

"Language! I do not want his first words to be cuss words!" he replied angrily while pointing to Shayera's belly.

"What makes you think it's going to be a boy?"

"I have been to the future!"

"But you don't know if there was a girl before him! Besides I am not comfortable with the name Rex yet!"

John rolled his eyes at her. They were bickering and probably would end up late to Oliver and Dinah's wedding.

"Dinah's going to be pissed," John replied woefully as he began to button his suit.

"I am going to be pissed if you don't get your ass ready in five minutes, and you don't want that!" Shayera threatened. She wished she had her mace with her right now. J'onn had recovered it after the crisis, but she had left it in the Watchtower the other day.

"Why do you have to be so angry?" John complained as he began to tie his shoes.

"You did not seem to have a problem with it on our honeymoon!" Shayera complained.

After the crisis with the dragon, Shayera and John decided they could not wait anymore and decided to take a leaf out of Vic's book and elope instead. Except they did not choose Vegas but instead got married quietly in a private ceremony in Hawaii. John had a few Marine buddies there.

"And besides," Shayera said walking up to him, her voice softening. "It's the reason why you love me."

Shayera then gently kissed him on the cheek and helped him fix his tie.

John sighed and smiled at her.

"I know."

0000000

Oliver was pacing and shaking. He was real nervous.

"Oliver stop pacing you will do fine!" Vic tried to comfort his friend.

"I can't believe she took me back!"

"Well you did not really cheat on her liked she thought so technically it is not that big of a deal. Besides I think it's more shocking that Helena took me back!"

"She woke up with you by her side! Chicks love that sentimental stuff!"

"Alright guys knock it off!" shouted Holt as he limped in. He never fully recovered from his injury and would walk with a limp for the rest of his life. But he still had his sharp strategic mind which was his strongest asset to the League.

Wally meanwhile was bouncing off the walls as usual.

"Thanks for letting me invite Linda to the wedding Ollie!" Wally said.

"No problem bud. I take credit for you two getting together after all because I lent you my tux!"

Vic rolled his eyes. Even he was going to the wedding in his civilian identity. The wedding was going to take place on the Watchtower so it would be safe. Dinah and Oliver decided to cancel their public wedding and just have the Watchtower Wedding in front of the people who were their real friends. Vic felt everyone was true trusting in allowing non-league civilians to come as well with everyone in their secret identities, but he was not going to let his paranoia ruin Oliver's wedding.

J'onn was the only one not wearing a suit. Instead he had shape-shifted into his Chinese disguise wearing a suit. His wife was going to come to the wedding as well.

"Where the hell is Tarzan?" asked Holt checking his watch. B'wanna Beast with Vic, J'onn, Wally, and Holt was one of Oliver's groomsmen.

"Probably in the jungle," Oliver snorted.

"He better hurry," said Vic checking his watch. "Jason Blood is already here and he's supposed to be the minister."

Jason Blood had volunteered to preside over the ceremony. He at one point was a priest in his lifetime. He was going to do it in his civilian identity of course.

00000

"Come on Mike hurry up!" Zatanna said helping him put on the tux.

"I am sorry Z, I usually don't wear this kinda fancy stuff!" he said.

"Well you can't go to the wedding in a loincloth as a groomsman. Come on everyone's going to be in their civilian identities."

Mike sighed and put on the jacket.

"Even Bruce?"

Zatanna shrugged.

"Who knows? I have not talked to him in a while."

Mike looked at her startled.

"What?" he asked. He did not believe she would stop talking to Bruce.

"Well I talked to Dick last week and he said everything was going fine. They finally busted that violent gang in Gotham that emerged a few months ago."

"What about that long conversation you had with him a few months ago?"

"That was personal Mike. I already told you it was just between me and him."

Mike sighed and continued to get dressed.

Zatanna looked at herself in the mirror. She would hope Bruce would take the advice she gave him soon. Diana would probably be heading back to Thermyscara within a month.

00000000

Bruce was getting into his best suit. He was initially not going to come to the wedding but after Clark had told him the whole League knew his secret identity due to Wally's big mouth he had no reasonable excuse. He still was plotting to punish Wally for his open mouth.

"You look good," Dick said from the door. He had moved back to Bludhaven but was visiting Gotham today to cover patrol for Bruce so he could attend the wedding.

"You good tonight?"

"Yeah Barbara's coming out as well to help. Should be a fun night."

"How's that boyfriend of hers doing?"

Dick shrugged.

"She told me he got into law school. She is still thinking about joining the police force though."

"Well she has a sharp mind, she will be good at it," Bruce said.

He walked out of the room to go check up on Tim.

Tim was in his room reading a book.

"Hey Tim, Dick's going to be on patrol tonight so you can call him or Leslie if an emergency arises."

Tim looked up and smiled. "You got it old man."

Bruce smiled and left. Tim was healing fast. No longer did he need constant supervision. He still had therapy with Leslie but he was improving. Leslie even told him that Tim would be able to go back to school in a few months.

He was about to call Booster Gold to teleport him up when he saw Clark was standing in the manor foyer.

"Clark?" he asked expecting an emergency.

Clark turned around. "Hello Bruce."

"How did you get here?"

"I asked Booster to teleport me down here. Lois and I arrived at the Watchtower an hour ago. You better hurry; it's going to start in a half hour."

"Yeah I know which is why I was about to leave," Bruce replied back.

"Look I am here to talk to you quickly."

"About what?" Bruce hoped this was not going to go where he thought it was.

"Look I am glad you have gotten close to Dick and the rest and have rejoined the League but have you talked to Diana at all in the last six months?"

"Of course I did. You are at the founders' meetings yourself. You see us talk all the time…"

"I was talking about on a personal level, not a professional level."

Bruce paused.

"I do not think it is any of your business then if it's personal…"

"We are not having this debate again Bruce. It is my business. I know you two both love each other."

That accusation silenced Bruce for a second but he quickly came up with a retort.

"It does not matter. She will not take me back."

"You do not know that. I thought the same was with Lois, now look! You are going to our wedding next month!"

"I don't deserve her!"

Clark shook his head. Why did Bruce hate himself so much?

"After everything that happened, you do not think you deserve her? She has forgiven you for breaking up with her! Did you not see it in her face when you almost died?" Clark asked, raising his voice.

"I did die! But that is not why I do not deserve her!" Bruce cried back.

"Then what is the reason?"

"She lost her immortality because of me! I do not deserve her because of that!" Bruce spat out quickly.

Clark looked shocked.

"How did you-"

"Zatanna told me a few months ago. She figured it out. She thought by telling me that I would go back to Diana."

"Then why didn't you? She admitted she loved you-"

"And because of that love she is going to die!" Bruce replied holding back the tears.

Clark shook his head. Once again Bruce was being a fool despite his good intentions.

"Bruce," Clark said placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "You must know in order for that spell to work, she had to be willing to give up anything. Anything. That should tell you something. If she was willing to give up her immortality for you, then you damn well deserve her!"

Bruce could not believe his hears. Did Clark just swear?

"But I would not wait too long. I have a feeling Diana's going to leave soon."

And before Bruce could reply, Clark was teleported back up to the Watchtower.

Bruce just stood there staring at the spot Clark was moments ago.

He had made good on his promise to Alfred. He tried to make his life a little happier and he was succeeding somewhat. His loneliness had lessened greatly. But he could not bring himself to love Diana. It was not out of fear this time but guilt.

How could the man who pretty much made Wonder Woman mortal deserve her? But what Clark said was true. He was just too blind to see it.

They both loved and deserved each other.

The question was how to win her back?

He looked at his watch. The wedding was going to start in twenty minutes. He paced around the room for another ten, trying to think of a plan. If we was going to win her back, he would have to do it at the wedding. And then an idea hit him.

Thank God he was aware of Wally's surprise plan for the music at the reception. It worked well for his plans.

00000000

The wedding was great. Dinah and Oliver's kiss was wonderful. The wedding was held in the Monitor Womb, but the reception was in the cafeteria. Booster had volunteered to take Monitor Duty. He was quickly the rising star in the League. Many of them respected the man for his leadership during the crisis six months ago.

Diana was sitting with Shayera and John on her left side, and Clark and Lois on her right side. She was having a good time. She had finally met Wally's Linda and immediately liked her. She though Mike and Zatanna looked cute together. Everyone was happy with their partners.

Except her.

She felt a little sick seeing how both couples at her table were showing so much love and affection that she wished a certain man would show her. But she quashed it down. She was not going to ruin her friends' relationships because she did not have one.

"Are you alright Di?" asked Lois catching on to Diana's subtle uncomfortable signs.

"Yeah, I am fine," Diana said half-truthfully.

Lois gave her a disbelieving look but before she could say anything, Wally had gotten up to the microphone. Everyone had already said their speeches to the newly married couple.

"Alright everyone, we heard how awesome this super couple is, but now we got a surprise for you."

That piqued everyone's interest.

"We obviously could not bring a wedding band up here due to secret identity issues with complete strangers, so to provide music, Ollie and Dinah thought it would be fun if we brought our own!"

As Wally spoke, J'onn and Vic were bringing out a karaoke machine.

"I doubt that many of us can play instruments, but I am sure a lot of us have lovely voices. Who hasn't heard the Canary Call?"

Many laughed politely at the joke.

"So we figured the next best thing would be if some of us would provide our own music."

Many laughed at that and began to applaud. It was a good idea.

"So do we have any volunteers?"

Due to the large amounts of alcohol already consumed, many heroes in their civilian identities were raising their hands.

However before Wally could pick one, a baritone voice in the back corner had spoken.

"I'll do it!"

Everyone's attention had turned to the source of the voice. Both heroes and non heroes' eyes popped out. Bruce Wayne was volunteering to sing? In public?

Bruce did not seem fazed by the stares and the sudden silence that had fallen and proceeded to walk to the stage. He ignored the whispering that was following.

"What the hell is he doing?" asked John, surprised by Bruce's recent actions.

Clark was trying to hide his smile. Maybe the talk helped after all.

Diana was probably the most shocked of all. What was Bruce playing at? Her heart was fluttering. She remembered the last time he sung it was for her. Was it possible that-

No it could not be. He probably was drunk. It had to be.

Wally meanwhile was still taken aback by Bruce volunteering to sing that he seemed unaware that Bruce took away the microphone from him and was already flipping through the song selection.

When Bruce seemed to found what he was looking for he turned around.

"Wait don't you want to be able to see the lyrics?"

"Already know them. Turn it on," he ordered Wally.

Wally shrugged and nervously pushed the play button.

The music began to play. Most of the Leaguers immediately recognized the song. It was Elvis Presley's rendition of "Always on my Mind."

Diana however never heard the song before and was totally unsure what words Bruce was going to say.

_Maybe I didn't treat you,_

_Quite as good as I should have._

_Maybe I didn't love you, quite as often as I could have._

He was walking around while he sang, ignoring the stares many people were giving him. His eyes were at the table where Clark and Shayera were sitting.

_Little things I should have said and done,_

_I just never took the time._

Helena smiled and looked at her husband.

"Dance with me baby doll," she said pulling him out of the chair.

"How can I refuse?"

The bride and groom soon followed them as well. Pretty soon many people were getting up to dance as well. Bruce was a surprisingly great singer.

_You were always on my mind._

_You were always on my mind._

Zatanna was beaming. He was finally doing it. She knew there would be no turning back now. Bruce only sang in dire emergencies. Mike wrapped his arm around her and brought her closer.

_Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died._

_Give me, give me one more chance to keep you satisfied, satisfied._

By now Diana knew there was no question he was singing for her. She was almost crying. The man was possibly ruining his reputation forever in front of his own co workers for her. A part of her was still being pessimistic but she ignored it. She did not care. She loved him and she knew he loved her. She just wanted to enjoy this moment even if nothing would go further than it.

Shayera smiled at the look of love on her friend's face and dragged a reluctant John to the dance floor.

_Maybe I didn't hold you,_

_All those lonely, lonely times._

_And I guess I never told you,_

_I'm so happy that you're mine._

_If I made you feel second best,_

_Girl, I'm so sorry I was blind._

_You were always on my mind._

_You were always on my mind._

"Come on Smallville, lets jump in before he finishes," said Lois.

"Of course dear. Maybe we don't have to pay for a singer at ours after all."

Diana did not seem to notice she was alone at her table now. Her eyes were watching him. It was as if it was just the two of them in the cafeteria alone.

_Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died._

_Give me, give me one more chance to keep you satisfied, satisfied._

J'onn was smiling while holding his wife in his arms and sitting next to Holt.

"It's a shame Booster Gold will not see it."

Holt cracked a smile.

"Don't worry, he knows how to work the Watchtower cameras, he's probably watching right now.

_Little things I should have said and done,_

_I just never took the time._

_You were always on my mind._

_You were always on my mind._

Bruce did not care if this was on tape, he did not bother to try to kill the feed. He loved Diana and he did not care who knew.

_You were always on my mind._

_Maybe I didn't treat you,_

_Quite as good as I could have._

_Maybe I didn't love you,_

_Quite as often as I should have._

_Little things I should have said, and done._

_I just never took the time._

_You were always on my mind._

_You were always on my mind._

Bruce finished and everyone got up to cheer. The crowd was giving him a standing ovation complete with much whistling and thunderous applause.

He flashed a smile at the crowd. A real smile, not the playboy smile.

Many people were shouting encore but he shook his head. He briefly made eye contact with Diana.

He could tell she was still blown away by what he had just done. He quickly mouthed 'follow me' and exited the cafeteria while people were slapping him on the back and complimenting his secret talent.

Diana got up and headed the way he left. Zatanna watched her leave with a smile on her face. After everything, they finally were going to get back together.

Diana could hear Wally asking the next round of volunteers while commenting it would be a hard act to follow before the cafeteria doors closed behind her.

She saw Bruce's back was turn to her. She decided to speak first.

"You should sing more often. It seems to move people."

He finally seemed to notice she was there and turned around.

"Thanks."

Diana noticed he looked a little scared. What was he doing?

"Look I know you probably figured it out, but I meant everything I said back there."

Diana's eyes were watering but then a little anger that she had been ignoring during the song had begun to emerge.

"Then why did you not say anything in the last six months? Why did you avoid me?"

"I did not avoid you! I just was-"

Diana sighed in her head. "Scared. Look Bruce, I understand you are too afraid to commit. Just please, let me be. I respect your wishes."

"I was not scared to try again, I was just feeling too guilty!"

"Guilty?"

Bruce hesitated and Diana saw tears were falling from his eyes. He grasped her hands and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Because Aphrodite's gift cost you your immortality."

Diana's eyes widened at that remark and her heart had by now jumped off a cliff. As messed up as it sounded, it was really sweet and romantic of him.

"How did you know?"

"Zatanna figured it out and told me. I for a while was telling myself I did not deserve you-"

"Don't you dare make it about what I deserve! I chose to love you!"

"I know that! It just took me awhile to see that!"

Diana shook her head. As much as this seemed good news, she knew it could not happen.

"You know we can't work out together Bruce. We are a mess together. You were right, we distract each other."

"I beg to differ. I think you only distracted me because I was unwilling to admit I was happy, but now I am willing to change for you. I want you Diana, I need you!"

Diana was startled by the news. She could not believe this was happening. But that pessimistic side to her still had one last defense.

"You do realize I want to believe you but I can't after everything we have been through. It is going to take more than singing a song to show me that you are actually willing to be happy with me," she said sadly. It hurt, but it was the truth.

"I know that, which is why I am doing this."

Before Diana could react Bruce had got on one knee.

"Diana, Princess of the Amazons, will you marry me? I know I am just a stubborn pathetic mortal who has not treated you right. All I ask is you give me one more chance to show you how much you mean to me. Or as the song says, give me one more chance to keep you satisfied. Please give me one last chance to show how much I love you."

Diana froze and for a while the two just stayed in their places. This had to be a dream.

"Yes!" Diana cried happily.

Bruce sprang up and began to kiss her passionately. He had moved her up against the wall. They were finally together. This time forever. There would be no stopping now. There were no bats or Amazons screaming in their head this time. All reasonable doubt was gone.

Bruce stopped the kiss reluctantly and began to slip the ring on her finger.

"Where did you get this?"

"It was my mother's," Bruce smiled proudly.

"Oh Bruce, I can't," Diana said looking guilty.

"She would want you to have it. You deserve it."

"You do realize that you are stuck with me forever now? You cannot just insult me and try to push me away again."

"I know."

"You also know this means you are mine forever even though I am mortal now?"

"I would not have it any other way," he replied and continued to kiss the woman he loved.

"I love you Bruce," she said softly between kisses.

"I love you too Diana," he replied.

Clark was dancing with Lois as Oliver was up singing his song to Dinah. He was using his x-ray vision and super hearing to spy on his two best friends in the other room.

"What are you smiling about?" Lois asked.

"There is finally a happy ending," Clark replied as he saw the two lovers resume their kissing in the other room.

But Clark was not the only one watching the new couple affirm their love for each other. In the distance a man in a blue coat and fedora stood smiling fondly at them.

He felt the presence of another spirit behind him.

"If you are coming to judge me go away," he said coldly. He wanted to enjoy the two lovers finally be rewarded for their sacrifices and not get scold out for his decisions.

"I do not come on my own accord. I come on His behalf," the Spectre replied.

That piqued his interest. Phantom stranger turned around.

"Apparently humanity was not only being tested, but you as well Phantom Stranger."

Phantom Stranger just looked at the spirit of vengeance quietly. His face unreadable.

The Spectre continued, "The test was not to see if you would succeed in proving that humanity was still worth saving, but rather how much you would give up to try to save them."

"I did. I gave up the chance to stop myself from committing my sins and instead chose to give humanity a better chance on fighting the dragon. You said so yourself that sacrifice became void though when I interfered so those two could be reunited," Phantom Stranger replied, beckoning to the couple behind him.

"Yes I thought so too. But He is impressed that you were willing to give up your freedom to reward them for their sacrifice. That is why I am here"

"What?" asked Phantom Stranger. For having knowledge on almost everything in time and space, he was for once in his life unsure what would happen next.

"They made their sacrifices and got their rewards, now it is your turn. Phantom Stranger, on behalf of God, the Almighty, I release you from your service. Go rest in peace and join the Kingdom."

The bracelets on Phantom Stranger began to glow. He raised them and watched as they unlocked and fell off before they vanished in thin air. His eyes were turning from white to their original brown color.

He could not believe this. After everything, he was finally free. Was the Spectre actually smiling a little?

"But who's going to keep you in line?" he asked the Spectre as he began to fade away and leave the universe for good.

"There will be someone to take your place. There are a lot of sinners in the world," the Spectre shot back.

The disappearing man grinned and disappeared. The Spectre soon did the same, leaving the two lovers to have the room to themselves again. Not that they noticed they had company this entire time between the passionate kisses and declarations of love they repeatedly made to each other.

**One more chapter left….**


	52. Epilogue

_Many Years Later_

"You know you are a stubborn fool?"

"Just like my old man," Terry retorted.

Bruce's weak heart almost gave out at that moment. He knew now? But then again he was his son; it was only a matter of time before he put two and two together. Bruce after all taught him everything.

"Yeah I knew," said Terry. He had come back and did not leave for patrol just yet. Like father, like son, Terry loved to make dramatic exits and entrances.

Bruce sighed, "I take it Amanda Waller talked to you?"

"You knew all this time?"

"I figured it out. I always kept an eye on people like Waller, you can't trust anyone in this world."

For a while Terry thought Bruce was pausing to think of something to say next; when it became clear Bruce had nothing left, Terry spoke up.

"Look, I know you think you were never father material, and I know you did not raise me from birth, but you have been there for me all the time taking care of me, and for that I thank you."

Still no response. Bruce could be so cold. He was not good at emotional moments like this.

Terry deciding he was running out of ideas to get a response out of Bruce so he tried a different route.

"I am going to ask Dana to marry me," he said quietly.

For a second he thought he saw Bruce's brilliantly blue eyes lit up in shock but the grouchy old man remain as passive and stone face as ever.

"Congratulations," Bruce said, still staring out the window in his room.

Well it was a start.

"Was there anyone ever special in your life?" he asked curiously.

That finally got a reaction out of the old man. Bruce turned and glared at Terry.

"I do not think it is any of your business," he said menacingly.

"Come on, its father and son bonding time!" he joked. Bruce was hiding something.

"If you want my advice, if you really want to be with Dana go for it. You do not deserve to end up alone."

"Yeah, Waller already gave me the pep talk. Quit sidestepping the question. Was there anyone else in your life?"

"I already told you about Selina and Talia-"

"Yeah but you are Bruce Wayne! Come on there has to be more than two women that have reached your heart like that!"

Bruce sighed, it was probably better to tell the truth, or at least most of it to get rid of him.

"You already know about Barbara. The other ones were Lois Lane, and Zatanna."

"Clark's wife, really?"

"Yeah. It was so funny to see him jealous!"

"And that Zatanna chick, you actually had a thing for her?"

Bruce smirked again, "Where do you think I learned all my escape tricks? I traveled with her father when she was young."

"See I knew Batman was a player!" Terry joked which earned more dagger stares from Bruce. He quickly muttered sorry.

"Did I ever tell you I almost did not become Batman because of a woman?"

"Whoa now you are getting interesting. What was her name?"

"Andrea. She made me think I could be happy again when I was younger. She brought out a lighter side to me I had not felt since I was eight years old. I proposed to her and everything. I was ready to let go and give up the idea of being Batman."

"What happened?" Terry asked. He hated how he felt like a little kid asking annoying questions but Bruce never opened up like this.

"Her father was caught up in the mob. She chose him over me and they fled."

"Did you ever saw her again?"

Bruce sighed sadly. Terry was sure he could see tears beginning to form in his eyes. Maybe he pressed too far.

"I did. She came back to Gotham. For a second I thought we could start all over again. Little did I know she was just using me to distract me from discovering she was killing mobsters out of revenge for her father. I tried to save her from the darkness, but she was too deep."

Bruce sighed sadly and looked out the window.

"Was there anyone else?"

Bruce slowly turned to Terry.

"Nope."

"Are you sure?"

Bruce rolled his eyes.

"Yeah."

"You are such a jerk," a female voice was heard in the other room. "How could you forget me?"

"I already knew you have been eavesdropping this entire time!" Bruce shot back grinning.

The door to another room opened and in stepped Diana Wayne. Like Bruce she had aged many years. Yet she was still beautiful despite her age. Her hair was still black and she still had her beautiful blue eyes. Terry remembered when he first met her. After Bruce had saved him from the Jokerz and almost had a heart attack, Diana had coming rushing out and began to chew him out for nearly killing himself. Terry was surprised how much energy and strength the elderly woman possessed. He also remembered she caught him when he tried to sneak in and steal the batsuit and was surprised when she gave it to him.

"Congratulations Terry! You and Dana are perfect together!"

She walked up and kissed him on the cheek. Bruce saw him blush.

"Well I got to go out on patrol! See you!"

"Don't forget we have lunch tomorrow here with the Kents and Wests!" Diana called out to him as he left.

"Got it," Terry shouted back.

Diana closed the door and turned to face her husband of nearly fifty years.

"He looks so much like you."

Bruce scowled at the remark.

"Oh stop it, you love him as much as you love Dick and Tim."

Bruce cringed at that. The return of the Joker in Tim's body still was a painful event for both of them. Luckily Terry was able to save Tim and destroy the Joker for good with the assistance of Diana who came out of retirement to stop the mad clown.

Diana sighed and kissed her husband on the forehead. She remembered when he gave up being Batman after almost dying on the job, he had become more withdrawn and reclusive. She was afraid their marriage of twenty years was going to fall apart. But then Terry came and seemed to have made Bruce a little less angry again. Pretty soon she and Bruce were close again and he was happier.

Bruce sighed.

"What is it?"

"I worry he will make the same mistakes I did because he is my son."

Diana shook her head.

"Well you married me, so I think that makes it up for all the stupid stuff you did."

Bruce smiled at that and yawned.

"Come on, back to bed," Diana said and began to push his wheelchair.

0000000

_Few years later._

Bruce did not die alone like he always believed. Diana was at his side holding his hand. He died right before the sun rose, peacefully and quietly. Diana went to make sure his heart had stooped. She smiled sadly and kissed her love on the forehead.

"I will be seeing you soon," she whispered.

She walked up to the windows and opened them. The beautiful warm sunrise greeted her. She smiled.

Of course she was sad Bruce died, but she knew it was not the end. She would soon be joining him in the next life whether it was five years or twenty years. She was not immortal anymore.

Besides, she had a lifetime of memories to look back on while she waited to be reunited with him. A lifetime of memories, that began with three dates.

**The End**

**Hoped you liked it. Below I have credits role of the cast of characters in this piece. I do not know why but I just did.**

Starring

Bruce Wayne/Batman

Diana/Wonder Woman

Clark Kent/Superman

Shayera Hol/Hawkgirl

Zatanna Zattara

Vic Sage/The Question

Dick Grayson/Nightwing

Oliver Queen/Green Arrow

With Mister Terrific/Michael Holt

and Phantom Stranger

Also starring

Lois Lane

Barbara Gordon

Mike Maxwell/B'wanna Beast

John Stewart/Green Lantern

Helena Sage/Huntress

Wally West/The Flash

Black Canary/Dinah Lance

Maxwell Stein

Tim Drake

J'onn J'onnz/The Martian Manhunter

Leslie Thompkins

Vandal Savage

Patti

Linda Park

Pierre

Queen Hippolayta

Booster Gold

With Terry McGinnis

And the rest of the Justice League

And Featuring

Selina Kyle/Catwoman

Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin

The Spectre

Alfred Pennyworth


End file.
